Untimely
by Wiz bang
Summary: Miranda gets bad news about a loved one.
1. Chapter 1

AN

I don't own anything that belongs to The Devil Wears Prada novel or movie. I am just borrowing our two favorite ladies for a little while. This is a fic that I really like and have enjoyed writing. I originally posted this on another site. I am having some writers block so I decided to re-edit the story to help me write the last couple of chapters in part two. There may be a part three someday but there are other story ideas that are begging for attention. I hope you enjoy and as always your feedback is much appreciated.

Chapter 1.

Miranda Priestly sat in her office trying to focus on writing the notes from the editor section for the magazine that she had transformed into the best- selling fashion magazine in the world. Her normal laser focus was failing her today as her mind drifted towards personal matters. She could not help the wry smile that appeared on her face as she thought, "apparently La Priestly has mellowed."

She took a moment to reflect on just how much her life had changed since her, "Devil Wears Prada," days. She certainly was as much of a perfectionist as she'd ever been but her desire, no need, for better balance in her life had led to major changes at Runway. A series of promotions to key people certainly made a difference. Emily, Nigel, and Serena had all flourished in their new roles. Nigel was now an editor-at-large with several pages of the magazine under his direct supervision. Emily had been made the new Art Director and an assistant editor working directly for Miranda. Miranda had to admit that the young woman was doing a good job putting the lessons she'd learned as her assistant to good use.

When Serena had inquired about the vacant head of accessories position Miranda had her doubts. The former model and makeup artist extraordinaire had made a persuasive argument. She'd expressed a compelling philosophy that makeup was in its own way an accessory used to enhance the perfect look. Miranda had taken a chance and had been proven correct.

The inclusion of the three of them in her personal life had also paid major dividends as they became good friends and in doing so they were better able to answer all the WWMD (What Would Miranda Do) questions without actually having to bother her with the details. All of these changes were nothing compared to the changes in her home life.

Her musings were interrupted as her first assistant Emma quickly entered her office. The fact that Emma had earned being called by her actual given name was a measure of just how good she was at her job. The look of surprise bordering on panic instantly put Miranda on guard as she never knew Emma to panic over anything.

"What is it," Miranda said trying very hard to control the tone of her voice.

"Cincinnati General Hospital is on the phone, Andy's been in an accident."

Miranda stood swiftly and took the phone from her assistant. She waited as Emma left her office and closed the door behind her.

A cool woman's voice spoke from the other end of the line "Mrs. Priestly."

"This is she," Miranda responded more forcefully than she'd intended

Miranda's face turned ghostly pale as the hospital administrator explained that Andy had been in a severe traffic accident and was being prepared for emergency surgery. Miranda gave the woman the consent she requested then quickly ended the conversation.

She looked up to see that Emma had slipped back into her office.

The young woman quickly spoke, "I've contacted the charter service."

"They have a jet fueling at Teterboro that will be ready to take off in 30 minutes."

"I informed the charter company that this was an emergency so they authorized a helicopter to ferry you to the airport."

"They will be here in ten minutes."

She continued, "I will contact Cara to have her pack your luggage and have it sent overnight to your hotel."

"There will be a car and driver to take you from the airport to the hospital."

Miranda thanked whatever goddess that put this ultra-efficient woman in her life. Without another word Emma left the office leaving Miranda with the precious minutes, she needed to call her girls and tell them about Andy and her plans to get to her as quickly as humanly possible.

After finishing a very emotional conversation with her 16-year-old twins and getting a promise that they would take care of everything at home until they returned, she gathered her laptop and a few personal files. She was greeted by Emma, Nigel, Emily, and Serena as she exited her office. All four of them had concerned looks on their face that she quickly waved off. She was in full La-Priestly mode now as it was the only way she would be able to maintain her sanity until she knew Andrea would be OK. They walked with her to the elevator as she gave out a series of orders to keep things moving toward a print deadline that was less than a week away. They all rode in the elevator up to the roof which was another change to the way she did business. She'd discovered that by having conversations in elevators she could leave work on average about ten minutes earlier than before. As she exited the elevator Emma handed her her purse, coat, and an overnight bag packed with items from Runway's famous fashion closet.

In another sign of how much things had changed, she exchanged genuine hugs with all four people before boarding the waiting helicopter. Twenty-five minutes later she was taking off and turning southwest for the two-hour flight.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

Ellen Sachs was in her kitchen when she got the call from a friend who was a nurse at Cincinnati General. She was stunned by the news that her daughter had been in an accident and was undergoing emergency surgery. Her momentary shock wore off as she quickly grabbed her purse, keys, and coat before leaving without further delay. When she got to the hospital her friend, Freda, told her that they were operating on Andy to stop some internal bleeding and that she would likely need another surgery to deal with a broken leg. She also told her that the Doctor's were concerned about a head injury. Freda escorted her to a large medical suite and told her that this would be Andy's room once she came out of surgery. Ellen thanked her friend then looked around the well-appointed hospital room. She was a little surprised as she was not aware the hospital had any suits as nice as this one. She sat down and wondered what her daughter was doing back in Ohio.

Miranda walked into the hospital and asked for Andrea's room. The woman behind the desk made a call and two minutes later the hospital administrator came down and reintroduced herself.

"Mrs. Priestley, I am Audrey Spellman we spoke on the phone."

"Andrea is out of surgery and is now in post-op recovery."

"I will take you to her medical suite and her doctor will come to brief you in a few minutes."

Without thinking about it Miranda performed her customary head to toe inspection of this woman who she had to admit was impeccably dressed. She gave the woman her nod of approval before being escorted towards the nearest elevator.

Ellen looked up as she heard someone enter the room and was completely stunned to see Andy's former boss stroll into the room. She quickly stood up and began to introduce herself but was cut off by the woman's harsh glare.

"Mrs. Sachs I am perfectly aware who you are."

Ellen was now even more confused as she wondered just what Miranda Priestly was doing in her daughter's room and why was she so hostile towards her. She could not figure out what brought this woman here right now. Before she could ask any questions a tall handsome woman entered the room and introduced herself as Dr. Anna Stern.

Miranda and Ellen both introduced themselves. She then turned towards Miranda and began explaining the nature and extent of Andy's injuries, that they had stopped her internal bleeding, and that she would need a second surgery to repair her broken left leg.

"I am also concerned about her head injury."

"We did a scan, but without a baseline, it is difficult to tell exactly what's going on."

Miranda reached into her purse and retrieved a large envelope then explained, "This is from Andrea's last full body scan done during her last annual four months ago."

Ellen looked at the envelope wanting to know why this woman had her daughter's medical records. They both waited patiently while the doctor reviewed the scan.

Dr. Stern looked at Miranda and said, "I am more optimistic now that I am able to compare before and after brain scans."

The doctor told them that Andy would be moved from recovery to her room in a few minutes. She also cautioned them that they should not expect her to wake for a while.

The doctor looked at Miranda and asked, "She is a real fighter isn't she?"

Miranda smiled then said, "She has a lot to fight for."

The women exchanged handshakes and then the doctor was gone leaving the two women in the room alone and Ellen with more questions than answers.

"I didn't think Andy worked for you anymore," Ellen stated still trying to organize her thoughts.

Miranda looked at her appearing to compose herself before answering.

"No Andrea has not worked for me for many years now."

Before she could stop herself Ellen asked, "Then why are you here?"

Miranda gave her a glare that made her regret asking the question but before the other woman could respond her daughter was being wheeled into the room. The look of pain on Miranda's face shocked Ellen badly. She watched as Miranda walked over to Andy's bed, grabbed her hand, and whispered something she couldn't make out into her ear.

Ellen waited patiently for Miranda to finish talking to her unconscious daughter. She observed the woman closely trying to make sense of what was happening, clearly, the two had kept in touch since her daughter left Runway. She, unfortunately, did not know much about her daughter's life now because they had not spoken for more than five years.

It had started with her daughter's choice to move to New York in the first place and when she had broken up with her boyfriend both she and Andy's father had been in agreement that it was time for her to move back to Ohio. They gave her an ultimatum that either she moves back or they would withdraw all financial support. That conversation had not gone as anyone had expected and harsh words had been exchanged. Her daughter had displayed a defiance that neither of them had expected and when she dug in her heels her father had been the one to escalate things even further by letting her know if she did not move back than they would sever all contact with the family. Andrea had initially been stunned by what he said and even gave him the opportunity to take back his threat. When neither of her parents said anything she had shown just how grown up she had become. She made it clear that she would not be forced to do anything by anyone.

That conversation had broken Ellen's heart but at the time she'd felt she had to stand by her husband. She'd also deluded herself into thinking that what they were doing was in Andy's best interest. As time passed she began to question the soundness of their approach but held on to the idea that their position had been the right one. They had been afraid for their daughter who was a young, single, and attractive woman alone in a dangerous city. She was brought back from her own thoughts by the feeling of eyes looking at her. She looked up to see cold blue eyes staring back at her. She may not know exactly what was going on but she could feel the anger coming from the other woman in waves.

Miranda spoke with an edge to her voice, "You asked me before what I was doing here."

"Well, it occurs to me that I could ask you that same question, Mrs. Sachs."

"What do you think you are doing here?"

Ellen was taken aback not just by her words but by the cold tone of her voice.

She replied, "I am her mother, of course, I would be here."

Miranda's response was both quick and devastating, "Are you her mother because she could have died at any point in the last five years and you would have been clueless."

Before she could respond Miranda continued, "And before you try to disagree ask yourself what do you know about your daughter's life in the last five years?"

"Nothing, otherwise you would not ask me what I am doing here."

"If you had even bothered to read a single letter that she wrote, you would be very clear on why I am here and why I used every resource at my disposal to get here as quickly as possible."

Ellen looked into frightening blue eyes and asked, "You were in New York when you heard about the accident?"

She was at a complete loss at what would motivate her daughter's former boss to drop everything and come to Cincinnati. Miranda could apparently read the look on Ellen's face as she turned away from her in disgust. When she spoke again it was so quiet that Ellen had to listen very closely to hear.

"You call yourself her mother, but I would never break contact with any of my girls no matter how much I disagreed with their decisions or no matter how justified I thought I was."

"With the pain that you and your husband caused Andrea, that you have the nerve to sit there and justify your presence here while questioning mine astounds me."

She walked over to her bag and pulled out a bundle of letters, she walked over and dropped them into Ellen's lap before leaving the room without another word.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ellen sat there flabbergasted, she had never been so thoroughly told off in her entire life. The worst part of it all was she that she knew Miranda was right. She stood, walked over to Andy's bed, squeezed her hand, then left the room. She had gotten Miranda's unspoken final message, "don't be hear when I get back." She was not sure why the doctors were giving updates to Miranda and not her as Andy's mother but she figured it had something to do with Miranda's money. Of course, that was it, she was paying for the expensive room and was probably paying for the hospital bill. Ellen just couldn't figure out why.

"Was she feeling guilty about Andy's accident," she thought. That made some sense but it did not explain Miranda's anger at both her and Andy's father. Ellen wandered the hospital halls until she found an empty waiting area. She sat and looked at the bundle of envelopes in her hand. The letters all postmarked at Christmas had returned to sender stamped on each one. She hadn't even been unaware that these letters even existed. It was another strike against her husband's character. That he would return these letters without even telling her was deeply disturbing. She took a long breath then opened the first letter.

Dear Mom and Dad,

It has been a while since we spoke, I am not sorry about the things that I said. I do not accept that loving someone means you can dictate the course of their life. I have goals for my life and New York City is the most logical place for me. As you know, I quit my job at Runway but I learned so much from all of the people there. In the end, it was the right thing for me. I am a writer and that is what I am doing now. I worked for a New York newspaper for about a year but when I wrote a series of stories about the city's child welfare program I discovered a desire and a talent for more in-depth storytelling. I won a Pulitzer for that series which is pretty unheard of for a reporter with so little experience. I used that to get myself a staff writing job at the New York Story. Now I can give more time to my stories which really sparked my creativity and I have really flourished here.

I am seeing someone new, well actually I reconnected with an old friend and now our relationship feels right. I hope you are doing well because I am happy and very much where I belong. Know that I love you both and I hope one day you will learn to accept the choices I have made in my life.

Love

Andy

Ellen wiped tears from her eyes. Reading her daughter's words brought back a flood of memories of her smart funny daughter. She felt an undeniable ache in her heart as she keenly felt the years of loss. She realized that there was something else in the envelope. She extracted a photo of Andy well dressed and beaming while holding up her award.

The picture made Ellen smile. Her daughter's smile always had that effect on her. Ellen stilled herself and opened the next letter.

Dear Mom and Dad,

It has been a pretty eventful year for me. My work at the New York Story has been great. I won my second Pulitzer making me the youngest in a generation to have two of the awards. I wrote a long story about a woman who had been convicted of murdering her husband despite clear signs of spousal abuse. The kicker was that she sought help from everyone she could think of the police, social services, her family, and even her priest but no one would help. So she finally bought a gun and shot him after she was nearly beaten to death. My story not only managed to publicly shame those in charge but it gave new life to her appeal. She got out of prison a few weeks ago and I was there to greet her. She had nothing, but a friend managed to find her a place to live, got her a job, and a good lawyer for a lawsuit against the state. I decided to turn the story into a novel that will be published early next year. Lisa, that's the woman I've been talking about, and I'm going to split any profits from the book 50/50. I gave her all of the advanced money to get her started on her new life. Don't worry I am doing quite well financially and can wait for the book sells to be my half of any profits. There is even talk about a movie. It doesn't hurt that Lisa has a passing resemblance to Reese Witherspoon.

My personal life is even better than my career if you can believe it. I told you that I reconnected with an old friend, well our relationship only got stronger over the last year and we got married over the summer. It was a small ceremony just a few friends and my two new step-daughters. Yep, I am a mom now. After my diagnosis in college, I did not think I would ever have children and now I have two wonderful, bright, and sometimes mischievous girls on my hands. There mother and I could not be happier. Oh there, I've let the cat out of the bag, I married a woman and I am gay which probably goes hand in hand with marrying a woman. I know that you might be shocked and honestly, I would have preferred to tell you face to face but you know the whole not talking to me thing. You could have kept my letter from last year and just burned it and I could at least deluded myself into believing you cared enough to at least read to see how I was doing. Despite everything, you two are still my parents and I still love you.

Andrea

Ellen felt those last two sentences like a literal punch to the gut, what Miranda said was correct she had hurt Andy badly by both her actions and her inactions. She should have left Jack sooner and she should have contacted Andy the second that she did. She reached into the envelope to see a picture of her daughter on her wedding day. She looked beautiful in her dress and so happy. The pain and guilt Ellen felt were close to unbearable but she knew that she deserved to feel this way. The next picture took her breath away, the candid black and white photo of her daughter and Miranda Priestly was perfect. The look of love the two shared was unmistakable. Ellen had to admit to herself that they made a striking couple. She opened the third letter and began reading.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Another year and I still have not heard from you, I am beginning to sense a pattern here. Nevertheless, I persist because it is what I do and to do differently is not in my nature. To describe the first year being married to Miranda is complicated. First, the press literally lost their shit (sorry Dad I know you don't like it when I curse but it is true). My old paper was the worst, I think my old editor felt slighted because he had a crush on me. Miranda and I did almost nothing to hide our relationship but until our wedding announcement came out the media had assumed that the two of us were just friends. The marriage of the famous Miranda Priestly to the somewhat famous writer and author (my book made it to # 2 on the Times Best-Sellers List) Andrea Sachs was a big surprise and a juicy story. They spent about a month hounding us and our girls. Most of the coverage was fair but the Mirror kept running stories suggesting that Miranda and I were together when I worked for her and that Miranda had cheated on her former husband with me. Both stories were obviously false and soon that story could not sustain itself.

Being with Miranda and our girls has been the best experience of my life. I stopped working for The Story full time though I still write a story for them on occasion. My second book, a story about two wealthy NY socialites who faked their deaths and ran away together, made it to number one. As happy as I was some small part of me was still grieving from the knowledge that I would never be able to have a baby of my own and I had missed the girls' early childhood. I thought I was hiding this grief well until Miranda confronted me about it one day and I told her the whole story about finding out in college that I would never be able to carry a baby to full term. I expected her sympathy but instead, she got really angry at me for keeping secrets. I was so stunned by her initial reaction that I couldn't say a word. Then she took my face in her hands and looked me in the eye and said, "Darling one of the many benefits to being married to me is that I have proven myself more than capable of carrying children to term." I honestly had never expected Miranda would want any more children and it never occurred to me that she would want to have children with me. I have no idea if either of you will ever read my words but you should know that at that moment I could not have loved her more.

Being the impatient person that she is Miranda immediately called Emma (Emma is the way more efficient version of me at Runway) and got her started researching fertility clinics that specifically catered to same-sex couples. About a week later Miranda came home triumphant telling me to pack for a week in France. I wanted an explanation but when she informed me that Roy (Miranda's longtime driver and a really good guy) was waiting and that our flight left in less than three hours, I shut up and started packing. The next day we sat in an elegantly appointed clinic as they explained how they pioneered a technique for editing DNA to prevent genetic diseases from spreading to offspring. The technique involved using three DNA sources to edit out bad genes. They later discovered that this also meant they could edit in genetic material as well.

The bottom line is they started with Miranda's eggs, my eggs, and donor sperm with a similar DNA profile to mine. They modified the donor DNA with mine then used it to fertilized Miranda's eggs and it worked, it really worked Mom. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was so appreciative that Miranda would do all of this for me but I really did not expect it to work but it did. Miranda was amazing through it all, I have never seen someone carry off pregnancy with such ease and grace. I should not have been surprised that Miranda would make being pregnant at 51 so easy. The press went crazy again when they found out Miranda was pregnant but nothing could dull the happiness we were feeling and the girls were so excited about getting to be big sisters. Because of the laws governing the unique pregnancy, our lawyers suggested that we have the baby in France, so Miranda, the girls, and I picked up everything and spent the last three months of the pregnancy in France. On October 5th Madeline Elise Priestley was born in Paris France 7 lbs, 12 ozs, 22 in long, and perfect in every way. I am now complete Mom and I know you know what I mean.

Love

Andrea, Miranda, Caroline, Cassidy, Madeline Priestly

This time Ellen's tears were from pure wonder and joy. She was a grandmother now. She knew just how devastated Andy had been when she found out she could not carry a child, and Miranda had healed that wound. The previous letter had been concrete proof that Andy loved Miranda, but this letter gave undeniable proof that Miranda loved her daughter. Ellen reached in the envelope and found a picture of her granddaughter. The new grandmother marveled at how much the baby resembled Andy as a baby in all but the piercing blue eyes that surely were a product of her older mother. The next picture was of Mirada in the hospital holding Madeline with Andy on the hospital bed next to them with the biggest grin she had ever seen. Next to the beds were their twin girls also beaming at the camera. Ellen resolved to herself that she would not waste another minute not being part of this little family. She would beg for as long as necessary to make things up to her daughter, daughter-in-law, and three, yes three, granddaughters. She stuffed the letters into her purse and made her way back to Andy's hospital room.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Miranda spent an unpleasant hour speaking to police about Andrea's accident and the subsequent investigation. The police seemed to believe that Andy had been forced off of the road by another car. Miranda's instincts told her that this had something to do with Andrea's new book.

After Madeleine's birth, Andrea had become obsessed with finding out what happened to her mother's younger sister Elise who had disappeared when Andy was fifteen. That investigation was what brought her wife back to Ohio for the first time in years. Given the circumstances, the police decided to post an officer outside of Andy's room and another at the main entrance. Miranda, whose number one priority was keeping her family safe, decided she wanted additional security. After a quick call to a friend, she had a recommendation for a local security company that she could trust. After a fifteen-minute, a whole security team was being dispatched to the hospital to guard Andrea twenty-four hours a day until she was out of danger.

Miranda heard the officer outside tell someone that they could not enter Andy's hospital suite. When she heard a woman respond that this was her daughter's room, she knew that she had a decision to make. In the end, it was no decision at all. Those letters were concrete proof of Andrea's desire to reconnect with her parents. She loved Andrea with all of her heart and she would do her best to extend that love to the woman who had given her life.

Miranda walked into the hall and spoke to the officer, "You may add Mrs. Sach to the list of people allowed in Andrea's room."

She also informed him of the additional security arrangements she made to ensure Andrea's safety. The officer looked relieved as he commented that he had worked with people from the firm before and that they were very good at what they did. That actually made Miranda feel better about her decision to not to just rely on two police officers to protect her Andrea.

Miranda turned and walked back into Andrea's room to find Ellen standing next to Andrea's bed holding her daughter's hand. Before she could speak

Ellen looked at her, clearly, the woman had been crying, and said: "Thank you, Miranda."

Miranda was willing to forgive but she did not have to make it easy.

"And what precisely are you thanking me for," Miranda said with an edge to her voice. Apparently, "La Priestly," was not on permanent vacation after all.

Ellen winced slightly at the tone and look on her daughter-in-law's face.

"I know that I deserve that and much more," Ellen spoke with her head down. She was having trouble maintaining eye contact at the moment.

The woman forced herself to look up and meet Miranda's eyes and spoke,

"Thank you for loving my daughter."

"Thank you for picking up the pieces from my and Jack's poor judgment."

"Thank you for giving my daughter the family she always wanted and deserves."

"Thank you for healing the worst wound my daughter ever suffered by giving her three daughter she loves and cherishes."

"Thank for giving me three granddaughters when I believed that I would have none."

It was not lost on Miranda that Ellen had included their twins in her list of granddaughters. She gave a slight nod acknowledging the wisdom of the gesture and the heartfelt words.

Ellen finished by saying, "and most of all thank you for giving my daughter a wonderful life."

Miranda looked at Ellen and said, "It is Andrea who has given me a wonderful life and I cannot bear the thought of living the rest of my life without her."

At that moment Dr. Stern breezed into the room, picked up Andrea's chart, and consulted it for several moments. Finally, she looked at the two expectant women and said, "I am pleased with the progress Andy is making."

Miranda, whose patience was running thin, asked, "Then why has she not woken up?"

Dr. Stern whose patience was nearly infinite was not put off by the concerns of her patient's spouse. Besides she knew who Miranda Priestly was and her legendary reputation for having incredibly high expectations. Instead of seeing the dragon lady in front of her she simply saw a woman who was deathly afraid of losing the love of her life. Dr. Stern motioned the two woman over to a comfortable couch and took the chair facing them both.

"The human brain is still a great mystery to us in many ways. Andy's brain was shaken during the crash but every sign tells me that it is healing, but she needs time."

"I can't tell you if it will be four hours of four days before she wakes up. What I can tell you with some certainty is that she will come out of this and that her brain scans are consistent with the scan she had six months ago."

Anna Stern knew Miranda was a smart woman and judging by her rapt attention Andy's mother was following the conversation just fine. Then Mrs. Sachs surprised her by asking a question about Andy's intracranial pressure. Dr. Stern answered the question in a way that appeared to satisfy Ellen. Anna gave her a questioning look as Ellen let out a long breath in apparent relief.

With her curiosity peaked, Anna asked, "Do you have medical training Mrs. Sachs?"

Miranda looked at her mother-in-law with a raised eyebrow as Andrea had never mentioned that her mother had studied medicine.

Ellen looked a little sheepish before she spoke, "I dropped out of my last year of medical school after I got pregnant with Andy."

"I had every intention of going back but it just never happened."

Anna felt an instant bond. She had been faced with a similar decision when she was pre-med. She had chosen to abort rather than risk losing her life-long goals. Miranda's opinion of Andrea's mother ticked up another notch as she concluded that she had held back this story to avoid making her daughter feel guilty. At a similar age, Miranda knew she wouldn't have let anything get in the way of pursuing her dreams. She also realized that she would make a different choice now. If Andrea or their girls needed her too she would walk away from Runway without a backward glance. The fact that her legacy in fashion was cemented would make it much easier to walk away whenever the time came.

Anna felt an unexpected pull towards Ellen, which compelled her to share the choice that she made in a similar situation. She did not regret the decision but she felt the need to connect to the other woman. She was surprised when Ellen reached out and touched her arm in an attempt to provide comfort. The kind gesture touched her deeply. Miranda noticed the interaction between the two women but decided to file the information away for later analysis.

In the end, both women had been satisfied with Dr. Stern's explanation that Andrea really was getting better. They also knew they would need to be patient. After Dr. Stern left the room, Miranda excused herself so she could call her girls and check in with her Runway staff. Ellen sat next to her daughter and held her hand regretting the distance that had come between them and hoping Andy would give her a chance to make amends.

As Miranda reentered Andrea's room she stopped short and observed Ellen's interaction with her unconscious daughter. The woman clearly was emotional but Miranda thought that guilt was the emotion driving her at the moment. She turned around to give her mother-in-law, she supposed she would have to get used to thinking of the woman in those terms, some private time with her daughter. She opened her phone and arranged for dinner. Contrary to popular opinion Miranda was very capable of doing such things for herself, she simply did not usually waste her precious time on such mundane activities. She found a place that her wife had always raved about and talked them into delivering some of Andrea's favorite dishes, assuming that her mother had similar tastes. She walked back into the room and could see Ellen had been crying but it looked like it had helped.

"I ordered us dinner from Ray's," Miranda said quietly.

Ellen looked up surprised and commented, "But they don't deliver."

Miranda chuckled lightly at the look of surprise on a face so reminiscent of her Andrea's.

"I can be very persuasive at times," Miranda commented dryly. That drew a genuine laugh from the other woman.

"Yes, Andy told me stories about your methods of persuasion," Ellen responded.

Miranda fought the urge to defend her prior actions. She was willing to let this woman into her and her family's life because of who she was to Andrea but she would not explain or defend her relationship with Andrea either working or personal. The two women sat in relative silence while waiting for the food to arrive.

After the food arrived, Ellen was surprised to see some of her favorite dishes spread out before her. That is when she realized that these were also Andy's favorites. The thought triggered another wave of longing and regret. She missed Andy so much and she should have never let anything come between them. She also noted that Miranda loved her daughter enough to know what her favorite restaurant was here and what she would order for herself.

After dinner, Ellen shared stories from Andy's youth. Miranda was thoroughly charmed hearing these stories from Andrea's childhood. She knew a few of the stories from Andrea's perspective but hearing Ellen tell them made her think of her twins when they were younger and her youngest who looked so much like the pictures of Andrea at that age. That thought prompted her to pull out her phone, select the correct folder, and hand it over to Ellen. Ellen looked at the first picture, grinned, and began swiping through the pictures of her daughter's family. In everyone there were so many smiles, everyone was so happy and Ellen knew that she wanted to be in some of those pictures moving forward.

After Ellen stifled a yawn, Miranda told her that she needed to get some rest. Then she did something completely unexpected.

She handed over a hotel room key card then explained, "My assistant booked a suite at the hotel across the street, room 412."

"Miranda, I couldn't" Ellen began before being cut off, "You can and you will."

The look on the editor's face made it clear that there would be no further discussion.

"I have some work to do this evening so you can relieve me in 6 hours," Miranda said.

Ellen grabbed her things and was about to leave then turned to the other woman, "I know that I've said this a lot today but thank you."

Miranda nodded her head and mentioned, "I believe they have a 24-hour cleaning service if you require it."

"That won't be necessary, I have extra clothes in my car," Ellen said and hoped that Miranda would let it go at that.

The raised eyebrow on the other woman face told her otherwise. She gave a mental shrug then explained: "I left Jack."

"I was moving some of my things out of the house when I got the call about Andy's accident."

Miranda found herself feeling one more level of connection to this woman. She had felt the bitter disappointment at failing at marriage. Those feelings had led her to over-focus on work and made her a miserable person at the time. It all changed when Andrea had come back into her life and changed everything. Ellen was further surprised when Miranda reached out and touched her hand. The look of sympathy and understanding were more powerful than any words that could have been spoken.

Without another word, Ellen left Andy's room. Miranda retrieved her Ipad pro and pulled up the digital version of "the book." "The Book," was a page by page mock up the current month's edition of her magazine. Never being one to miss out on new technology Miranda had embraced receiving a digital version of the book that she could access anywhere in the world with a cell signal or secure wifi. She absolutely loved the current editing software that allowed her to edit the original high-resolution photos right from her tablet. She could also leave notes for her team, and even edit copy. Miranda figured the switch to digital shaved twenty percent off the time it took her to review and approve an edition without sacrificing her normal high standards. Somehow she had failed to mention the time savings to her staff but she was grateful it gave her more precious time with Andrea and their girls.

Miranda looked up surprised to see Ellen walk into the hospital room looking clean and refreshed. A quick check of the clock revealed that it had been exactly six hours since she left. Miranda had lost track of time but she had been very productive and with her edits and the notes she left for Nigel, Emily, and Serena she felt the magazine could go to print without her needing to review it again. Miranda wanted to be able to dedicate all of her time to getting Andrea home and healthy again.

Ellen was surprised to see Miranda awake and alert, she passed the key but Miranda told her to keep it because she had another. Miranda stood and gave Ellen a slip of paper with her cell phone number neatly written on it.

"Call me if there are any changes to Andrea's condition."

With that done, Miranda slid on her heels, grabbed her bags, and left Andrea's room. She slipped into the hotel and quickly went through her nightly routine. She set a timer for four hours and was asleep within seconds of laying her head on the pillow.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Miranda opened her eyes three hours and fifty-nine minutes after she had fallen asleep. She had always possessed the ability to wake just before her alarm went off. She grabbed her phone to silence the alarm and to check if she had any missed calls. There were no missed calls but she did have a text from Emma letting her know that her luggage had arrived at the hotel. That message was repeated in a voicemail on the hotel phone. After arranging to have her luggage sent up she noticed a new text from Ellen letting her know that would be getting an update from Doctor Stern in half an hour. After grabbing a shower and dressing in fresh clothes, Miranda felt a little better as she hoped that today would be a better day. As she entered Andrea's hospital room she was greeted by Ellen who had procured coffee and an assortment of pastries and fruit for breakfast.

Ellen handed over the coffee then said, "I believe this is how you take it."

Miranda was pleasantly surprised that her coffee was perfect. She could only imagine that Andrea had relayed a nightmarish tale or two that started with some unfortunate assistant screwing up her coffee order. Miranda thanked the woman for the coffee then sat down to enjoy it before the doctor arrived. Ellen greeted Dr. Stern as she strolled in then handed over a cup. Anna took a sip and gave Ellen a searching look after she realized that it was her preferred tea prepared exactly how she took it.

Miranda noted how pleased her mother-in-law seemed with the doctor's reaction.

"One of the nurses happen to mention you liked tea," Ellen said with a shy smile.

"There is also breakfast," Ellen indicated as she pointed to the spread on a nearby table.

Anna started to refuse the gesture until Ellen interrupted by saying, "All the food is kosher if that is what you are worried about."

It was Miranda's raised eyebrow that Ellen answered this time, "You would be amazed at how much information you can get from the right nurse."

Anna thanked Ellen for the thoughtful gesture then settled herself in front of her patient's loved ones. Miranda was once again struck by the similarities between Ellen and her daughter. Andrea's skin would turn the same color whenever she was slightly embarrassed or had done something that she hoped Miranda would find particularly pleasing. That thought led to another, "she likes the good doctor, and from the appraising look the doctor was giving back the feeling was mutual." In the end, she decided that this little dance could continue after she got an update about Andrea.

Miranda purposely steered the conversation back to the unconscious woman in the room with them.

"How is Andrea doing, Dr. Stern," Miranda prompted.

Anna took her focus away from her appraisal of the woman in front of her and turned to her patient's formidable wife.

"The news is good, we did a new scan of her brain early this morning and found the brain swelling has gone down a considerable amount."

Ellen spoke up by asking when she thought Andy would wake up.

"It's not an exact science but in general 12-36 hours would be expected," Anna responded.

The doctor then took a few minutes to update the two women on the status of Andy's other injuries. Both women blew out a sigh of relief after hearing that she expected Andrea to make a full recovery.

"With physical therapy, she will be able to walk on the leg without a limp," Anna commented.

After the debrief Miranda excused herself to update their girls and her Runway team. She also wanted to give Ellen and Anna a few moments to talk without her presence.

Anna watched Miranda walk out before turning to Ellen who was all of a sudden very close to her. She watched as the woman reached out and put a hand on her arm. She looked up from the hand into warm caring eyes.

"Anna, Miranda and I want to thank you for everything you've done for Andy, she's very lucky to have you as her doctor."

Anna had heard similar words from patients and their families before, but somehow with those brown eyes on her, this time felt different.

"I guess luck was on her side since this is my last week at this hospital."

Ellen looked at Anna with sudden concern on her face. Anna put her at ease by saying, "oh, nothing bad, I'm just moving back to New York in a few weeks."

Ellen did not want to pry but her curiosity got the better of her as she asked, "Why did you leave in the first place?"

The pained look on Anna's face instantly made her regret the question, but it was too late to change course now. Anna's first instinct was to end the conversation and move on to her next patient but one more look into the deep pools that were Ellen Sach's eyes and she found herself unable to hold anything back.

"I met my wife Meredith while I was at a conference here."

"We hit it off right away and we were a couple before the end of my week here."

"We spent a few months dating long distance, but I knew we were meant for each other and since she couldn't move to NY because of her job, I moved here."

Ellen kept her features neutral not quite sure why she felt so disappointed in the knowledge that Anna was married. Then something clicked, the fact that she was moving back to New York, the long work hours, and the lack of a wedding ring all added up.

She put her hand back on Anna's arm then asked, "how did you lose your Meredith."

Anna was stunned temporarily speechless, she knew the story would end with Meredith's death but she had not expected Ellen to get there ahead of her.

"Cancer," she croaked out.

"A little over a year ago."

Before she could do anything else she found herself pulled into strong arms as the tears finally came. She had not cried when Meredith died in her arms, she had not cried when they took her body away, had not cried at the funeral or at any point in the year since but here she was in a stranger's arms and she was openly weeping. Ellen steered the doctor to the sofa and sat both of them down pulling the woman's head back onto her shoulder. Ellen did not say a word simply letting the woman express her grief. She and her daughter always had a strong intuition toward others feelings. She noted the intuition was strongest with those they cared for deeply.

That was why Andrea was such a good assistant to Miranda and likely an even better wife. It was why she had been such a good wife to Jack for so long. When their opinions about their daughter differed she had defaulted to her role of supportive spouse. These thoughts led her back to the connection she had made to the woman silently crying on her shoulder. The connection she had made was strong. She'd picked up on Anna's sense of lost right immediately, but she had been so focused on her situation to note what her intuition was telling her.

Now she realized that all of this really did mean something. Anna pulled her head off of Ellen's shoulders with a confused look on her face. She was not sure what had just happened but it felt significant.

Ellen spoke first, "I am getting divorced from my husband of 32 years."

"We had a falling out with Andy five years ago and I allowed my loyalty to him to get in the way of my responsibilities as a mother."

"As a result, I have missed five years with my daughter, Miranda's twin daughters, and all of their daughter Madi's life."

Ellen's intuition told her that Andy called their daughter Madi while Miranda called her Madeline. Her intuition was also telling her that she needed to share everything she could with this woman. It should have scared the hell out of her as she had never even looked at another woman in a mildly sexual way, but here she was taking a leap because her intuition told her it was the right thing to do.

Ellen continued, "I came to the conclusion that I will not miss another minute of their lives, so I am also moving to New York soon."

Anna was a little surprised at how happy she suddenly felt by this pronouncement.

The two women stared at each other for a while before Ellen spoke quietly, "I would like to see more of you when we get to New York."

Before she could think about it too much Anna went with her instinct and agreed. She picked up a piece of paper and wrote down her personal cell phone number and handed it over. She then took a moment to compose herself, retrieved her coffee and bagel, then left the room.

Miranda was surprised and somewhat impressed at how decisively Ellen had acted upon the chemistry between her and Doctor Stern. It once again reminded her of Andrea. Her new found confidence after they reconnected had been both refreshing and intriguing to her. The thought made Miranda smile. Andrea had said the exact right things to overcome any argument she could make as to why they could not be a couple. In the end, it had been an easy choice to let herself fall for Andrea.

"So you are moving to New York," Miranda said to indicate she'd probably picked up on most of what had just occurred.

Ellen blushed but the smile on her face showed she was certainly not ashamed.

Ellen then sobered as she spoke, "I plan on doing whatever it takes to show Andy how wrong I've been and to seek her forgiveness."

Miranda who had very different views on forgiveness before she met Andrea, decided to give the best advice she knew, "Andrea has an amazing capacity of forgiveness especially for those she loves."

"That is why she wrote those letters to you and your husband even though you would not even read them."

Ellen felt both shame that the letters were necessary and anger at her soon to be ex-husband who had taken it upon himself to return Andy's letters without her knowledge or permission.

"I didn't know about the letters," she said in a quiet voice.

"I loved my husband but I should have never allowed him to come between me and my daughter."

Miranda nodded in agreement but chose not to comment further. She would wait to see how the woman treated Andrea moving forward before she made her final judgment. She expected that the level of love and honesty Ellen had already displayed would win over her wife and daughters. Even Miranda knew better than to take on the will of four Priestly women, she did not have a death wish after all.

AN: Thank you to all of those who took the time to comment. I really like this story and will work hard to finish it. For now, I hope you enjoy another update and feel free to keep the comments coming.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The two women settled in the room with Ellen reading a book and Miranda reviewing emails. Miranda's attention was caught by an email from Emma with the heading, "read this as soon as you can." Miranda clicked on the message immediately knowing that the young woman's request should be taken seriously. The message detailed options for transporting Andrea home depending on how mobile she was, the resumes for the three top orthopedic and brain specialist in the city, and a series of appointments with the best physical therapist as well. Miranda reviewed the information and sent an email back selecting an orthopedic specialist but indicating that Dr. Stern would continue to be Andrea's neurologist. Miranda already had a plan forming in her mind as to how she could expedite the good doctors return to New York.

She added a thank you to the end of her email and sent it off. Miranda reflected on the how good of an assistant that Emma had become. In fact, she was second only to Andrea. Andrea was only better because she had cared about Miranda the person and not just the fashion icon. Emma cared as well but it was different. Miranda did not quite think of Emma as another daughter but she was very fond of the girl. Come to think of it if Cassidy's crush ever came to fruition then Emma might be her daughter-in-law one day. She could not begrudge Cassidy her crush, after all, she would be 18 in less than two years and seven years was not that much of an age difference in the grand scheme of things. That thought made Miranda chuckle, seven years was nothing compared the age difference between her and Andrea and they had certainly made it work.

As the day stretched on both women shared more family stories, read, rested, and ate together. They kept the same routine as the night before with Miranda taking the first shift. She used her time to compose a new letter from the editor. She felt inspired to talk about the importance of family. She also decided to review the book again purely out of habit. She really did have faith that Nigel and Emily would carry out her wishes without this additional step. She was once again relieved by Ellen in the early hours of the morning. Exhausted Miranda was asleep almost as soon as the got into the bed. That night she dreamed of Andrea and woke feeling comforted by talking to Andrea in her dreams at least.

Once Miranda arrived back at the hospital they had a quick conference where Dr. Stern gave them the update that Andrea's condition continued to improve.

Afterward, Miranda pulled the doctor aside and said, "I understand that you are relocating to New York."

"May I inquire what hospital you will be working?"

After a quick glance at Ellen, wrongly assuming that she had been the source of the information, Anna informed Miranda that she would be starting at New York Presbyterian in two weeks.

"I would like you to continue to be Andrea doctor once we return to New York," Miranda requested in a tone that sounded more like marching orders.

"I'd be happy to do so once I start work but until then Mark Jacobs in the head of neurology and he can take care of things in the meantime."

Miranda shifted seamlessly into her La Priestly persona as she replied, "that is unacceptable."

"Is there a reason that you are waiting two weeks to leave Ohio?" Miranda asked.

Anna was surprised at the transformation the woman in front of her had just undergone. The change from concerned wife to alpha predator in less than two seconds was impressive.

Anna swallowed all of a sudden a little nervous then replied, "I need to pack my things and besides two weeks was the earliest Presbyterian could get me started."

Without another word, Miranda whipped out her iPhone looked up a number and made a call.

"Hello William, I understand that you have managed to acquire Dr. Anna Stern from Cincinnati General."

Anna watched in fascination wondering if this woman was talking to William Jennings the CEO of her new hospital. Miranda waited impatiently as William inquired how she came across the information.

"That is unimportant William, what is important is that Dr. Stern is currently treating Andrea and it is critical that the treatment continue uninterrupted when I have Andrea back in New York next week."

William Jennings sat up a little straighter after Miranda explained the situation and her wife's condition. He was well aware of Miranda's fierce reputation. He was also aware of the amount of fundraising the editor and her author wife had done for his hospital. He gave the only reply that was acceptable, "I will make it happen, Miranda, anything for you, Andrea, and your girls."

Miranda was gratified by William's quick acquiesces to her demand. She finished with one last piece of advice, "and William I hope you are seriously considering Dr. Stern for the head of neurology once Mark retires."

William replied without hesitation, "yes, of course, Miranda," before she ended the call. He immediately called his assistant to tell her to find Dr. Anna Stern's personnel file and then asked her to get him someone from HR on the phone.

Anna stood mesmerized at what Miranda had accomplished in one three minute phone call. She had known the woman was powerful in the world of fashion but she had no idea she could call the head of her new hospital directly and get him to change her start date without even batting an eyelash.

Before she could censor herself she said, "this lady is fucking unbelievable."

She wasn't aware she'd said that aloud until she heard the silver-haired beauty let out a chuckle. At that moment she completely understood why Andy had fallen for this woman. She also had the decency to blush at the revealing thought that she had inadvertently vocalized. The grin on both Miranda and Ellen's faces showed that they both found her discomfort amusing.

In an attempt to change she subject Anna said, "I didn't even know that Mark was retiring."

Miranda's smirk revealed that she knew Anna was attempting to switch the focus from herself but she was gracious enough to go along.

"William mentioned the need to find a new head of neurology during our last conversation," Miranda said

Curious to know Anna asked, "how do you know I am even qualified for that position?"

Miranda gave her a piercing look then asked, "do you think I would allow you anywhere near the woman that I love without knowing everything about you?"

Anna realized that once again she had underestimated Miranda. She made a mental note not to make that mistake a third time.

Miranda returned to her original point as she said, "so will you return to New York with Andrea and I to continue her treatment?"

Anna knew she would agree but paused trying to think through the logistics of how she could get everything ready in less than a weeks time.

Finally, she replied, "Yes I will return with you but I still need to pack up my apartment and find a place in New York."

"I believe I have a solution for your New York housing."

Miranda went on to explain how she and Andy had purchased and were in the process of renovating a small midtown apartment building. The building would give the twins and later Madeline a place to live rent-free in college and beyond.

"One of the top floor apartment is yours if you want it," Miranda offered.

Anna only had to think about this for a second. Miranda had excellent taste and she would not accept anything but the best for her children. She happily accepted the offer pleased that she would not be forced to scour the city for a halfway decent place to live. immediately accepted happy not to have to deal with the ordeal of finding a halfway decent place in the city.

"As for your place I am sure that Ellen would be more than happy to assist you with organizing your belongings as she I understand is also planning a move to New York," Miranda said.

Ellen's eyes widened at her inclusion in Miranda's plan. She started to object until she saw the intrigued look on Anna's face. In the end, she decided to just go with the flow. Ellen could tell that Anna liked the idea of having her help with the move. She also started to understand that this thing between them was starting to feel like something significant for both of them.

Ellen had not mentioned to anyone but Anna that she had decided to move to New York to be close to her daughter, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters. What no one knew was that she had already researched what it would take to complete her medical degree at Columbia Medical. She was pleasantly surprised to find out that more of her coursework than she's originally thought would count towards her degree. It would take her less than two years to complete her medical degree.

These thoughts ran through her head in the moment before she spoke, "Sure I've already found a mover for my things and I believe they would be willing to move your things as well."

"I would also be happy to help with anything else you need to do so you're ready to go by the time Andy is ready to travel," Ellen offered.

Anna was slightly taken aback at how readily Ellen had agreed to help. She'd been aware of the growing connection between herself and Ellen, but now she was starting to suspect that it may be the real thing. She had admitted to herself that Ellen was a beautiful woman and guessing by Andy's age and her looks she was less than ten years older. That would be different as she had been ten years older than her wife. She also concluded that there were similarities between Ellen's and Meredith's personalities that had drawn her to both of them. She'd opened up to her wife right away just like she was doing now with Ellen. It had not been love at first sight with her wife but they'd had this amazing chemistry. She felt the same pull towards Ellen as she had with Meredith all those years ago and she had been alone for too long to say no to whatever this was.

She responded to Ellen's offer by saying, "I'd like that very much."

The look they shared confirmed everything that she thought and more. Ellen's face revealed a hunger for something other than food. What Anna could not know was that she wore the exact same look on her face as well.

After Anna left the room Ellen gave Miranda a, "what the hell was that," look.

Miranda gave her an amused smirk then said, "the one thing that this ordeal has taught me is that there is no time to waste."

Ellen turned to look back at her unconscious daughter, turned back to Miranda, and nodded her agreement. The two women settled back into the routine that they'd developed over the prior days. Miranda decided she would send an email to Emma to get her working on expediting both Anna and Ellen's move to New York and to get the contractor to finish up work on the apartments for the two woman.

Next, she read an incoming message from Nigel telling her that they were all thinking of her and Andy. He also mentioned that the magazine was ready for print but that if she wanted the book was ready for her to take a final look. She smiled as she read an email from her girls. She composed a message telling them just how much they missed them and that she would have their ma home as soon as she could. She also let them know that she just might have a surprise or two with her as well. She chucked at the thought of Anna going from having no children to being her daughter's second grandmother. She almost laughed out loud picturing the look on the good doctor's face the first time her youngest referred her as nana. She knew that she was being a little premature, but she had seen the look the two women were giving each other. Miranda settled back in her chair and began reviewing the book.

AN:

I really appreciate the feedback I've gotten. I really like this story and am really enjoying revisiting it. I also dropped in a reference to one of my favorite fics from the Harry Potter-verse called "The Importance of Family." by melktert. If that if your thing then give it a try.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Andrea "Andy" Sachs was having the most pleasant dream. She was having dinner with her former boss which was not unusual. The two had dinner four or five times a month since they had reconnected a few months ago. They had easily transitioned into good friends but this dinner was different because it was their first after, "the kiss."

It happened after a particularly good evening at Miranda's townhouse with the girls. Andy was lying on the floor listening to music while Miranda worked. It had become a tradition for Andy to put on music while Miranda worked. That night she decided to last to lie on her back like she use to do as a kid. She was pleasantly surprised when Miranda chose to join her on the expensive plush rug. They talked and joked and laughed for what felt like hours. Andy lit up when one of her favorite songs came on and without a thinking, she got up and pulled Miranda along with her to dance. Miranda, not surprisingly, was a great dancer. They danced to a few songs before a slow song came on. Andy expected that would be the end but was surprised when Miranda deftly slipped into her arms. They swayed together for a few minutes bodies touching like never before. Andy was shocked when Mirada gently laid her head onto her shoulder as they continued to move together. They stayed like that, gently swaying through the next few songs before Andy finally got the courage to lower her head and capture the gorgeous woman's lips. The kiss had been sweet and welcomed by both women.

After, "the kiss," they continued dancing for a while before Andy realized how late it was. They both had to work the next day so they reluctantly ended one of the best evenings of Andy's life. Now they were sitting in a public restaurant staring at each other waiting for the other to start what both knew was to be a very meaningful conversation.

Andy was pulled out of her dream before she could relive that conversation which she regretted, but another part felt like there was somewhere else she needed to be. For long moments she fought her way through the gloom until finally, she had the strength to open her eyes. The first thing Andy noticed was a head full of familiar dark hair was resting on her leg. The next thing she noticed was a lot of things hurt. Instead of focusing on the pain she decided to try to figure out what was happening right now.

She scanned the room with her eyes as she was still unwilling to test moving her head in any particular direction. She quickly realized that she must be in a hospital. She could not see anyone else in the room other than the woman laying on her leg but facing the other direction.

Assuming she would have some answers she attempted to get the woman's attention but her voice failed her.

She took in a deep breath then tried again, "Mom," came out with enough strength behind it to get the woman's attention.

Ellen's head immediately sprang up at the sound of her daughter's raspy voice. She turned and looked at the almost comical confusion on her daughter's face. Miranda too was jolted out of her contemplation at the sound of her wife's voice. She quickly stood up and moved toward the love of her life. Ellen was glad she was watching her daughter because she caught the transformation from scared and confused to loved and safe once Miranda came into view. Miranda took Andrea's hand and squeezed it gently projecting a sense of calm knowing it would do no good for Andrea's blood pressure to spike.

Ellen would have been surprised to realize that Miranda had picked up the strong intuition that she and Andrea both possessed. She had long ago realized that Andrea could so easily pick up on people's moods and that the ability was strongest among the small circle of people that were lucky enough to be loved by her. So now she used Andrea's gift by projecting not just calm, but love and reassurance. Everything would be alright with Miranda here, she would not let anything else bad happen was the cornerstone of the unspoken message.

Andy immediately felt better knowing that Miranda was here with her. She managed to croak out, "how are the girls."

"They will be better once I've phoned to tell them that you have regained consciousness," Miranda replied.

Miranda's statement and her mother's presence suggested that she had been gone for a little while.

"How long have I been out," she rasped.

Miranda still squeezing her hand responded, "the better part of three days."

Before Andy could respond her mother was up and offering her some ice chips. She used them to partially rehydrate her mouth then looked at her mother who grabbed her other hand. She was surprised to see her mother reach her free hand to Miranda and even more surprised when Miranda immediately clasped it creating a little family circle. She realized that she had apparently missed much in the last three days. She was about to comment when an attractive well-dressed doctor walked into the room.

"How are you feeling ?" Anna asked upon entering.

"Like I was run over by a bus," Andy replied and immediately regretted the flippant remark when she caught the look of pain that briefly appeared on her wife's face.

"That is to be expected you were in a pretty nasty accident," Anna informed her patient.

"'I'm Dr. Anna Stern, but you can call me Anna," she said as she belatedly introduced herself.

"Please call me Andy," her patient replied.

Anna took a few minutes to explain her injuries, medical treatment, and the steps necessary for her to make a full recovery. The younger woman took everything in stride which did not surprise Anna as she seemed to be mentally tough. She guessed mental toughness was a prerequisite to court and marry Miranda Priestly.

"Do you have any questions, Andy?" Anna asked.

Andy did, "what about my memory?"

Anna asked, "what is the last thing that you remember?"

"Packing for my trip to Ohio is the last clear memory that I have."

Miranda added, "that was seven days ago."

Anna spoke up, "that is not unusual for your type of injury."

"Chances are good that you will recover at least some of those memories," she concluded.

Andy asked a few more questions focused on getting back on her feet.

Anna told Andy about the needed surgery and the rehab process then excused herself to continue her rounds.

Before she could turn to leave the room Ellen approached and pulled her aside. Andy could not hear what her mother was saying to Anna but she was surprised when she saw Anna reach into a pocket and produce a keychain and hand it over to her mother. She looked at Miranda with a raised eyebrow silently asking her, "WTF?" Miranda's eye roll let her know that there was a story that she would get later. The other two women finished their conversation as Anna left the room.

Ellen turned back into the room to see two sets of eyes staring back at her. She could feel the blush start at her neck and begin working its way up.

"I am helping Anna with a little project," she said knowing that she needed to do a lot of explaining before she announced her plans to move closer to her daughter.

Ellen walked over to her daughter's bed and spoke softly, "I read your letters."

She could feel the conflicting emotions coming from her daughter in waves of anger, disgust, sadness, love, and regret all mixed together.

Before her daughter could speak Ellen continued, "I know I messed up Andy, I should have trusted you to live your life."

Tears were running down mother and daughters cheeks as Andy spoke next, "you hurt me Ma, do you have any idea how much it hurt to be rejected by your own mother."

"Afterwards, I promised myself that if I ever had children that I would never do to them what you and Dad did to me."

Miranda squeezed her wife's hand silently lending all the support she could give.

"Thanks to this woman I now have three wonderful daughters and I will keep my promise to never cut them out of my life no matter what."

Ellen could feel her daughters emotion coalescing towards anger and knew she had to speak from her heart.

"I'm divorcing your father."

That simple statement stopped Andy in her tracks. She knew full well how much her mother loved her father and always would. Andy suspected somewhere deep inside that the alienation between them had been a result of her mother having to make an near impossible choice between daughter and husband. It did not make her feel any less rejected and hurt but at least she understood the difficult position her mother was in at the time.

"When did this happen?" Andy asked her mother.

"I moved out a few weeks ago."

Andy was suddenly furious with her father, "Why would you move out you are more entitled to that house than he is."

Ellen felt a little ray of hope at her daughter's reaction.

"I wanted a clean break and I had a feeling that I would be leaving Ohio," Ellen offered.

Miranda, of course, knew of Ellen's plans to relocate to New York but was surprised to hear that the plan pre-dated Andrea's accident. Andy looked at her mother expectantly.

Ellen took a deep breath unsure of what her daughter's reaction would be.

"I am going back to medical school."

"Back to medical school?" Andy asked.

Ellen explained her choice to leave medical school and why she never mentioned it to her daughter. After she finished Andy squeezed her mother's hand. She had no idea that her mother had chosen her over a career in medicine. Ellen cleared her throat trying to hold back a new round of tears.

She wanted to move things forward so she said, "I have a meeting with the Dean of Admissions at Columbia University at the end of next week."

Andy looked at Miranda and asked, "did you arrange for that meeting?"

Before Miranda could speak, Ellen said, "the Dean is an old friend of Anna's mother."

Andy was starting to see a pattern here, "So what little project requires you to have a key to the doctor's apartment?" Andy asked.

As her mother began to blush, Andy realized that her strong intuition with her mother was starting to return.

"Anna is moving back to New York and Miranda has asked her to return two weeks ahead of schedule to continue your care."

"So I volunteered to coordinate moving her things along with mine."

"Why is she moving to New York?" Andy asked her mother.

"She's originally from New York but moved down here to marry her wife."

"She died a little over a year ago and now she wants a fresh start.

"A fresh start with you," Andy speculated in her head but decided to keep to herself.

Her mother had apparently caught the unsaid thought as she began another round of blushing causing Andy to think that the feelings might just be mutual.

Ellen returned back to the subject at hand as she said, "I am sorry Andy, I should not have let anything come between us."

"If you give me the chance, I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you."

"And with both of their mothers' blessing, I would like to get to know all three of my granddaughters."

Miranda knew her wife well enough to know she would be touched by the inclusion of the twins in her mother's list of granddaughters. Andy was a little choked up that her mother had claimed Caroline and Cassidy along with Madi as part of her family. She did not feel any differently about the twins than she did about Madi they were all her daughters and always would be.

She nodded her assent and was gently enfolded in a hug by her mother. They both knew that there was work to be done to fully heal the rift between them but for now this was enough. Ellen released her daughter and told both daughters, because that is what they both were now, that she was meeting the moving company at Anna's apartment so she would give them some time alone and be back later.

The women said their goodbyes then Andy turned to Miranda and indicated that she should join her on the bed. She had not forgotten the look of pain on Miranda's face when she had made that dumb joke about being hit by a bus. She knew Miranda well enough to know she would be strong for everyone else but she was and had been hurting. She also knew that it was her job to start taking that hurt away.

Miranda sat tentatively on the edge of the bed not wanting to cause her any pain but Andy had a different plan and gently pulled Miranda down placing her silver head onto her shoulder and said, "It's ok, I am ok."

That is all it took for the dam to break and Miranda began to sob into Andy's neck.

"I was so scared of losing you," she whispered.

Andy felt so guilty for causing Miranda and her family so much pain but she put that feeling aside, for now, to concentrate on making it better for her wife.

"It's ok baby, I've got you," she whispered back and squeezed her tighter.

Miranda moved fully on to the bed and continued to cry as Andy rubbed her back and encouraged her to let it all out. Andy thought most people would be surprised to know that Miranda Priestly ever cried in her life, but they did not know her Miranda. Her wife cared deeply for her and their girls and would move mountains for any and all of them. Andy knew that her depth of emotions meant that the last three days would have been hell on earth. She vowed she would do her best not to have this happen again.

"Of course knowing what happened would help," She thought.

She just realized that Miranda had fallen asleep when a memory of the accident started for form in her mind. Before she could make any sense of the little snippet of memory, she joined Miranda in sleep.

AN: I really like this chapter as it begins to show Miranda's softer side and the depth of connection between the two women. Hope you all enjoy and your comments are always appreciated.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

As Anna completed her rounds she spotted a group of nurses gathered around the entrance to Andy's room. She shook her head at the women who were trying to get a peek at the fashion queen and the author. She cleared her throat causing all but one of the women to scatter. She reminded the head nurse of her duties regarding patient privacy. After getting assurances that she would have a talk with them before they had time to post anything inappropriate, she couldn't resist taking a peek herself. When she looked in she could not blame them Miranda and Andy were adorable curled up on the small hospital bed together. She turned off the main light and left the pair to their much-needed rest.

Anna was near exhaustion having just worked her third double shift of the week. She should have been off hours ago but she had a hard time making herself go home to an empty apartment. As she walked the short distance home her thoughts kept drifting back to Ellen. Anna was still surprised at how easily she'd opened up to the woman. She also reflected that she had married the last person that she'd felt such an immediate and deep connection to. That thought should have been ridiculous, the woman was married (getting divorced), older (but not that much older and gorgeous), straight (though not that strait based upon the way she looks at you). Her musings carried her all the way to her front door.

The little apartment wasn't much but she just couldn't stay in Meredith's house after she was gone. Everything in that house was her taste, it reminded her so much of the woman that it had only made things worse. So she had sold the place and moved most of her things into storage. The apartment had come fully furnished and was cold and impersonal which is exactly what she had needed. All she had wanted at the time was a place to lay her head between the ridiculous hours she forced herself to work in an effort to forget just how unfair the world could be.

Of course, her work as a doctor constantly reminded her of the world's cruelness, but it also made her better appreciate the time that she and Meredith had together. Now she thought she was ready to leave this place behind and begin to live again.

She unlocked the door and was immediately hit with the smell of Italian food and the sound of one of her favorite soul songs coming from her stereo. It took a moment for her to remember that she had given Ellen a key to her apartment but she certainly had not expected the woman to be here when she got home. Anna stepped into the kitchen and watched as the other woman's hips moved in time with the music. She was further surprised when she heard a melodious voice join Aretha's as they both sang of feeling like a natural woman. While she didn't know who Aretha was singing about, she hoped that Ellen was singing about her. Anna took a deep breath, thought, "nothing ventured nothing gained," then stepped into her kitchen. She walked behind Ellen and placed her hands on the woman's hips. She thought she might startle the other woman but she was not startled at all. Instead, she turned and faced her with a smile so brilliant and welcoming that it took her breath away. The mood in the kitchen quickly changed as both women stared at one another.

Ellen had known that Anna had been working herself hard over the past few days. Her intuition told her that the woman had been working long hours to distract herself since her wife's untimely death. Ellen knew that this was part of her grieving process. She had not thought a lot about her motivations, but after meeting with the moving company and coordinating the movement of both of their belongings, she had picked up ingredients for dinner and put on her nicest dress. She sensed Anna's presence behind her but kept cooking and singing waiting to see how the woman would react to her taking such liberties in her kitchen. She had not expected to feel the woman's hands on her hips. The touch was not unwelcome so she put on her best smile then turned to greet Anna. The look on Anna's face changed everything. The rawness of her desire and need touched Ellen deeply. Her intuition told her that Anna had not been with anyone since her wife's death. She also knew that she would willingly give herself to this woman for as long as she desired to have her. As she'd expected the kiss started sweet but it quickly built in intensity until they were both panting hard and nearly out of breath. They broke momentarily but then began again with a passion that had been sorely missing from both women's lives of late. Anna was the first to pull back this time.

She spoke with a smoky voice that sent a shiver down Ellen's spine, "everything smells wonderful, thank you for making dinner."

"What can I do to help?" the physician asked with the perfect level of gravel in her voice. Ellen resisted the impulse to shake her head in order to clear it. She had known the attraction was there and though she had never been with a woman before everything was pointing at that changing in the near future. She handed over a California red wine that she had procured for tonight's meal.

"Open that so it can breathe, then you can toss the ingredients in the large bowl on the counter."

"After that why don't you take a shower and put on something more comfortable," Ellen suggested.

Anna did as she was bid and then left the kitchen to the sounds of Ellen and Aretha's rendition of RESPECT.

Anna decided on a cooler than usual shower in order to tamp down her newly rediscovered libido. She and Meredith had an active sex life during their marriage but she had not been with another person since. She still masturbated regularly but more often than not it was just to help her fall asleep. She'd recently started watching pornography to help her orgasm because her normally vivid imagination always returned to Meredith and she just couldn't make that work.

Now, however, she was sure that if she chose to she would come very quickly thinking about the sway of Ellen's hips and how good she looked in that dress and how she tasted. All of a sudden the thought of a real alive lover began replacing the images of one who she loved deeply but was gone forever.

With her shower finished she took a little time to add a touch of her favorite perfume and a light coating of makeup. She dressed in a pair of her favorite jeans and a light sweater. She normally did not wear underwear at home and decided that Ellen had told her. "to get comfortable." She emerged from her room just in time to see Ellen put a steaming dish on the already set table. She walked over and pulled out Ellen's seat allowing the woman to sit first.

She noted with pleasure that Ellen had opted for them to sit closer together rather than at opposite ends of the table. Ellen served both of them what appeared to be eggplant parmesan.

"I didn't know if you ate meat so I opted for a meatless dish," Ellen said.

Anna replied, "I do eat meat but not all that often."

Anna was touched by Ellen's thoughtfulness. Meredith had been the vegetarian, Anna had simply gone along for the ride. One bite and she realized that this was the best meal she'd eaten in a really long time.

"This is delicious," she said after swallowing a piece of eggplant that all but melted in her mouth.

Dinner was an easy affair, the food was good, the conversation was better. Both women noted with pleasure how easy they built a rapport as the conversation flowed from one topic to the next. With dinner finished they took their wine glasses and sat on the couch. Anna knew they needed to talk before things went any further.

"What are we doing?" Anna asked.

Ellen both heard and felt the trepidation and fear coming off of Anna. Her heart went out to the woman.

Ellen placed a gentle hand on Anna's knee before she spoke, "When I met Richard I knew right away that he was the one."

Ellen felt the woman tense up and quickly continued, "The women in my family have a strong intuition that allows us to pick up on the emotional state of our loved ones."

"The intuition is strongest with the ones we care for the most."

"I could pick up on Richard's needs without him having to say a word."

"It is what made our marriage so strong until it wasn't."

"The reason Miranda and Andy work so well is not just because Andy can so easily pick up on Miranda's needs but because Miranda has learned to do the same for my daughter."

"At one point in time, Richard cared enough to give back as good as he got."

"Then one day I realized that I had not talked to my daughter in over 4 years and it was tearing me apart."

"My connection with Andy had actually surpassed mine with Richard a long time ago."

"Richard insisted that we draw a line in the sand with Andy because he thought it is was what was best for her."

"Even after it was clear that we were wrong he was too prideful to take it back and I suffered as a result."

"He took my understanding of his needs for granted."

"That's when I decide to file for divorce, made the decision to move to New York, and go back to medical school."

"Then out of the blue I get the call and I'm standing in my daughter's hospital room."

"All of my worst fears were realized but thanks to a very talented doctor, I have a second chance with my daughter and her daughters."

Ellen looked into Anna's eyes and could feel the question as if the woman had said it out loud, "so this is gratitude or worse pity."

Ellen took both of Anna's hands in her hands and spoke clearly, "Don't believe for a second that this is gratitude or pity." Ellen didn't need the shocked look on Anna's face to know that she had been right.

"I told you about how strong my intuition was towards Richard from the moment we met, well it was nothing compared to what I feel when I am with you."

"It took me a little while to decipher why but now I know."

Anna felt unbalanced from all Ellen had just revealed. She had prepared herself for an, "it's not you, it's me," speech or even worse a pity fuck. She had not expected such a clear declaration of deep feelings. Deep feelings that she easily returned even if she'd been too afraid to let herself believe in the possibilities. Then a piece of her own intuition made a connection.

"My nurses are very guarded when it comes to me."

"Meredith died in that hospital and they all know what I went through."

"No matter how well-meaning you were they would not violate my privacy."

"You never spoke to the nurses about me did you?" Anna asked.

Ellen shook her head.

"You intuition told you all of those things about me."

Ellen nodded her head to indicate the correctness of her statement.

"There is one other thing that you need to know," Ellen said in a whisper

"Richard and I signed the divorce papers weeks ago and as of four hours ago, I became a free woman."

Anna's eyes widened in shock again. She was planning to tell Ellen that they needed to wait until after she was divorced before they could be together. Without saying another word Ellen stood, took Anna's hand, then led the physician into her bedroom. Ellen gently sat Anna on the bed then reached up to release the clasp and let her dress fall to the floor. She stood there silently allowing Anna to look at her clad only in her sexiest bra and panty set.

Ellen looked at Anna for any sign of disappointment but instead saw the return of that feral look from before. Ellen stepped closer to Anna and pulled her sweater off pleasantly surprised to be greeted by her unfettered breasts. A small part of Ellen had been worried that although she already cared deeply for this woman, that she would not be all that attracted to her physically.

Now looking at Anna's breasts the notion seemed ridiculous. Her ogling must have become obvious as she could hear Anna's amused laugh at Ellen's single-minded fixation. The giggle only made things worse as her breast began to sway gently in a most appealing manner.

Anna's amusement at the other woman came to an abrupt end once Ellen finally looked up. The desire that shown in the older woman's eyes took Anna's breath away. Anna knew that her wife had loved her deeply and completely, but not even Meredith had ever looked at her like this. The look sent a tingling sensation that started in her spine but quickly moved south. Before she could say a word, Ellen pounced. The other woman easily found the pulse point in her neck with soft willing lips and began to suck. The feeling was so incredibly erotic. Anna loved to have her neck kissed and sucked just like this and Ellen was now driving her crazy with want and need. In one quick motion Anna dispatched Ellen's bra and now she was on the offense taking an erect nipple into her mouth. She heard Ellen's hiss of pleasure as she took the nipple between her teeth and applied pressure. After a few minutes of Anna switching back and forth between breasts, Ellen felt like she' drank the entire bottle of wine by herself. The effect this woman had on her was almost frightening. With one swift motion, Ellen freed her breast from her lover's mouth and pushed her onto her back. She soon joined Anna and on the bed and in a flash she was returning the favor licking and sucking and even biting the woman's smaller but apparently just as sensitive nipples.

Ellen was surprised at how aggressive she was being. She had been much more passive with Richard, sensing that it was what he needed. She could already tell things would be different with Anna. She could sense the same conflict in the other woman wanting to both give and receive pleasure in equal amounts. Ellen's musings were cut short as her lover's thigh came into contact with the front of her panties. The feeling sent a shockwave through her entire body and almost gave her an orgasm from just one accidental touch. The smug look on her Anna's face made it clear that she knew exactly what she was doing.

That touch was no accident.

"Two can play that game," Ellen thought just before she returned the favor. Anna jerked and moaned as Ellen's hand not so accidentally grazed her jean covered sex. Ellen watched as Anna's grin was replaced by a look of near ecstasy. Part of Ellen wanted to draw this out but the look on Anna's face was so damn sexy she had to see it again. She ripped at the buttons of her jeans and pulled them off with Anna's willing assistance.

Once she had Anna naked she took just a moment to admire the beautiful and willing woman underneath her. A number of new sensations were swirling through her brain. She'd never penetrated anyone other than herself before tonight. She held up two fingers the waited until she got an eager nod from the other woman. She slipped her fingers into her woman for the first time marveling at how wet and warm and different she felt. It only took a few deep thrusts before Anna exploded. One orgasm and Ellen was addicted. She would never, as long as she lived, get tired of seeing the beauty of Anna Stern coming.

She leaned over and gave a long slow kiss to her lover as she came down from what looked like one hell of an orgasm. Ellen laid on the bed and pulled Anna into her arms as she could sense the woman had been overwhelmed by what was likely her first human contact since her wife's death. As they lay there together she sent a silent thought to Meredith promising that she would do whatever it took to take care of this remarkable woman for the both of them.

Both women dozed off cradled in each other's arms. When they both woke a few hours later, the wild look Ellen saw in her lover's eyes let her know that sleep would not come again for some time.

The next morning neither woman had planned on another round but the shower can be a dangerous place for new lovers. Both woman thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of coming while warm water cascaded down their bodies. Afterward, they dressed quickly attempting to avoid the slightest temptation.

They walked hand in hand all the way to the front door of the hospital where they shared a mostly chaste kiss then separated as Anna went to work and Ellen headed to her daughter's room.

AN. Finally, we have some sexy fun. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until part two for any sexy times between our favorite couple. Hope you enjoy the update.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Andy woke the following morning feeling content. Having Miranda back in her arms, where she belonged, always made things feel better for the younger woman. She felt really guilty about the worry she caused her wife and their girls, but she was still here and so was Miranda so everything would be ok.

"Did you get any sleep," Andy whispered into Miranda's ear. There was no immediate response which made Andy chuckle. Early in their relationship, Miranda could not admit to anyone not even to herself how much she enjoyed and later grew to need Andy's arms around her. As a result, Miranda would pretend to be asleep so she could luxuriate in Andy's arms guilt free. Which is exactly what she was doing right now. As Andy's chuckles turned to out and out laughter, Miranda's head came up with the Priestly death glare plastered on her features. That only made things worse because it caused Andy to laugh even harder.

"What's so funny?" Ellen asked as she entered the room carrying a tray containing two hot cups of coffee and a tea for Anna. Andy looked at Miranda but only got an eye roll before the older woman got up and accepted her coffee.

"It is impossible to tell what will send your daughter into these type of theatrics," Miranda huffed before she took a grateful sip of her coffee. Andy reached out for one of the other cups only to have the tray pulled away from her grasp.

"You are not allowed any type of caffeine until you are discharged," Ellen said in her best, "mother knows best," tone of voice.

"Then why did you get three cups?" Andy inquired.

Before Ellen could answer, Dr. Stern breezed into the room, greeted Miranda, then turned to Ellen before she gave a breathy hello. Andy watched in amazement as her mother began to blush. Before Andy could comment, Anna began to ask her questions about how she was feeling.

With her exam complete Anna began to leave the room when Ellen stopped her by placing a hand on her arm. She turned and was presented with her favorite tea and a megawatt smile. Without a conscious thought, Anna thanked her new girlfriend, gave her a quick peck on the lips, then left for her next patient.

Miranda, who had seen all of this coming, thought, "now I know where Andrea got her smile from." Andy, on the other hand, was thinking, "what the fuck mom."

It was only after her mother gave her version of the Miranda death glare, that Andy realized she had said it out loud. Now it was Miranda's turn to laugh as she was quite amused by her wife's utter lack of a filter.

Andy immediately felt bad for overreacting but in her defense, she had only learned yesterday that her parents were no longer together and now apparently her mother was dating her very pretty and decade younger doctor.

"I believe your daughter was just inquiring as to when all of this began," Miranda commented saving her wife from further embarrassment.

Andy looked at her mother sheepishly and echoed Miranda, "yeah what she said."

Ellen looked at her daughter-in-law and said, "you knew."

It was said as a statement rather than a question.

Miranda responded was simple, "I do have eyes."

Ellen blushed not realizing she and Anna had been so obvious. Andy easily picked up on what her mother was feeling and tried to put her at ease.

"Miranda sees more with a single glance than most people do in a whole day."

Ellen, calmed by her daughter's words nodded at both of her daughters. Ellen and Andy had spoken about the ability most of the woman of their family shared on numerous occasions so she knew how best to explain why she was so sure about Anna.

"From the moment I met Anna, I felt a stronger connection than I have with anyone in my entire life with the exception of you."

"It surprised me because I had never even considered being with another woman."

"To be honest, I was not looking to be in any type of relationship after thirty years of marriage to your father."

Andy felt even more guilt knowing there were so many similarities about how she had felt about Miranda from the start. She also knew that If she and her wife had met under other circumstance they would not have taken so long to be together.

"I have learned over my lifetime to trust what I'm feeling," Ellen stated flatly.

"I'm sorry mom, I didn't mean for it to sound like I disapprove of your choice."

Ellen took Andy's hand and said, "I know sweetheart."

"I'm sorry that I hurt you with the mistakes I made."

"I am even more sorry that It has cost me so much time with you and your new family, but if you will allow it I would like to start making up for all of that lost time."

Andy was surprised at how choked up she suddenly felt. She had told herself that her new family was all that she needed but the reality was that she'd missed the close connection she and her mother had always shared. Now that their connection had been restored she felt whole again.

The thought of having her family whole again triggered her memory to return in a rush of images.

"Mom Elise is alive," Andy suddenly blurted.

Ellen was so thrown off by the statement she could not make any sense of it. Her youngest granddaughter was Madeline Elise. Elise had been her sister's name, of course, but she had gone missing 17 years ago. Andy swallowed hard and tried to organize her thoughts as more memories flooded into her mind.

She'd decided six months ago that her next book would be about her aunt Elise, who had gone missing when she was just 12 years old. She'd loved her mother's sister just as much as her own mother. Elise, who was only 10 years older, was more like an older sister than an Aunt. She was fun and vibrant and had introduced her to a wide array of music, art, and literature. Whenever she read something interesting she'd pass it on to Andy even stuff that her parents would not have approved of. It had devastated both Sachs women when Elise disappeared without a trace.

She'd just wanted to find closure when she started this project but her research unexpectedly revealed that there was likely a serial killer operating in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky at the time Elise disappeared. In all eleven women had gone missing over a thirteen year period with Elise being the last that could be credibly connected to the others. In each case, the women simply disappeared and were never seen again.

She'd set out to interview all of the families of the missing women. She'd met some initial trepidation but her reputation as a straight shooter helped. When she revealed her own painful history each family was more than willing to cooperate. Once she fully profiled each girl's life a pattern became clear. Each woman dated a mysterious older man that none of the family members was allowed to meet. Further, the women were all tight-lipped and refused to name him.

She struck pay dirt with the sister of the tenth victim who had been an armature photographer. The sister had captured a photo of number ten, Samantha Jordin, and her likely killer. Working on a hunch she'd gone through the yearbooks for all of the missing women. In three of the victim's yearbooks, she'd found pictures of the mystery man. He was a band teacher in one case, art in another, and english in the other case. She learned later that he deliberately targeted girls whose tastes ran towards men much more mature than the average teenage boy.

He took advantage of these girls then killed them when he grew tired of them. Next, she'd contacted a woman who specialized in aging photos and had the photos of the man appropriately aged. Then she used the photo to search faculty members for high schools in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. When she came up dry, she extended the search to include universities and community colleges. That is when she came across Brian Davis, an English Literature professor at a small Christian College just south of Cincinnati. A check of missing persons records in the area did not reveal any discernible pattern that she could tie back to Brian.

She'd decided that she wanted to put eyes on the guy, so she dressed like a college kid and sat in the back of his class. She could see what drew all those girls to him. He was good-looking, passionate about the arts and charming in a very disarming manner. After the class was over she discreetly followed him. When he hopped in his car she made a last second decision to follow him.

She watched from the street as he entered a nondescript house just a few miles from the college. An hour later she was still there as he came back out of the house. As he neared his SUV a pretty brunette woman walked out and handed him his briefcase then kissed him on the cheek. Andy's heart almost stopped when she got a good look at the woman.

Her aunt Elise was standing there in the flesh. She knew that she should drive straight to the authorities but she could not force herself to put the car in gear. Instead, she felt compelled to get her Aunt out of danger. She waited twenty minutes after he left before she approached the door and rang the bell.

She heard, "Brian did you forget something else," as the door swung open. The two women just stared at each other for a long moment.

"Andy," the bewildered woman finally spoke. Andy nodded her head but before she could say anything Elise said in a shaking voice, "Andy you have to get out of here before he sees you."

"Come with me," Andy pleaded. The older woman looked torn as she considered her options but then she came to a quick decision.

She shook her head no then said, "I have a daughter he will kill us both if I ever try to leave him."

Andy quickly realized that the situation was now significantly more complicated.

She backed out of the door and said loud enough for anyone listening to hear, "Ok thank you for your donation, Mrs. Davis."

Her intuition and reporting skills were working at full power. She casually walked to her vehicle knowing that she needed to portray the visit as nothing out of the ordinary. She decided she needed the FBI office in Cincinnati as she was unwilling to trust the town cops. She'd been halfway back to Cincinnati when the "accident," occurred. One minute she was driving along then she caught sight of a black SUV just like the one Brian drove and then she was waking up here.

Miranda was on the phone to the Cincinnati detectives that were investigating her crash as soon as Andy finished telling her story. Ellen just sat there stunned by the news that her sister was alive and had a daughter of her own. She was now scared to death of what might have happened since the events of four days ago.

AN: I enjoyed writing this chapter and the turn of events that occurred within. I hope you enjoy it as well.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Detectives Reyes and Spencer quickly confirmed that Allie Davis was at her school. After a long discussion about jurisdiction, the Cincinnati PD and the FBI agreed to share the case. The FBI would deal with the kidnapping charges while CPD would investigate the suspected murders of the missing women. A team of CPD and FBI Agents were quickly dispatched to Georgetown Oh. One team immediately secured Allie and were bringing her to Cincinnati General so she could be evaluated and be close to her family. The second team was currently watching the Davis house and the third was discretely scouring the campus trying to locate Brian.

After an hour of watching the team watching the Davis house grew worried. Team three had no luck locating their suspect and they had no way of knowing what was happening inside the house. The team leader made the decision to attempt to breach the house. As the team geared up for the full assault, Detective Reyes suggested a different approach.

After shedding her jacket and main weapon she checked her backup weapon and approached the door with a clipboard in one hand. She knocked on the door and was greeted by Elise Davis. She began talking to the nervous woman indicating that she was collecting signatures for a ballot initiative.

Before the woman could close the door in her face she thrust the clipboard into her hands. The note she wrote indicated that her daughter was safe with FBI agents, that they were police sent by her niece Andy, and asked if her husband was at home.

Elise nodded her head indicating that Brian was indeed in the house.

Reyes heard a man's voice say, "Ellie what's taking so long."

The detective made a quick decision to attempt to extricate their victim right then and there. She reached out her hand to see if the woman was willing. When she felt Elise's warm hand in hers she pulled her out of the door and they quickly moved down the steps as she indicated to her team to cover their retreat.

Reyes looked back just in time to see Brian Davis peek his head out of the door. She was the first to see the rife in his hands. She pushed Elise to the ground as two shots passed over their heads. The detective who had made sure to fall onto her back was already reaching for the little Colt 380 she kept in an ankle holster.

Brian was turning towards her fellow officers who were just beginning to return fire when Stephanie Reyes put three tightly grouped holes through the center of his chest.

The effect was instantaneous as the gun clattered to the ground and Brian dropped as like a marionette with its strings cut. As the other officers were securing the suspect and beginning to clear the house, Stephanie walked over to the trembling woman and held her as she began sobbing.

She could feel relief from fear coming from the woman in waves of ragged emotion.

"Are you sure my daughter's safe?" Elise asked.

"She's at Cincinnati General with your niece and your sister," Stephanie assured her.

Elise blinked a few times then said in a small voice, "Ellen."

It was said as if she'd forgotten that she'd even had a sister after all these years. Stephanie had seen all of this before. She knew the type of trauma abuse caused. She had become a cop because of her experience dealing with an abusive father. He had spent years making her and her mother's lives a living hell.

She knew this situation was even worse for Elise. The woman had been taken away from her friend and family and isolated in plain sight by this suspected murderer.

She whispered nonsense words of comfort into the pretty brunette's ear as they clung to each other on the lawn of a house Elise never considered her home.

AN: My count was a little off there is actually one more chapter in part one. I hope you enjoy.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Allie Davis got pretty worked up when the police came to her school and told her she needed to come with them. She looked at her teacher but she assured her everything was going to be OK. They'd brought her to here to Cincinnati General Hospital where a nice doctor had asked her some questions but no one would tell her anything about her mom.

So after the twentieth time of not getting any answers, it was natural for her to lose it. The doctor gave her a mild sedative to calm her down. After a discussion with her nearest relatives, it was decided that Allie should be around family so the unconscious girl was moved into Andy's room.

Allie woke up a few hours later in an empty hospital room. She felt a little disorientated so she started looking around for someone, anyone, to tell her what was going on. That was when she discovered that she was not alone in the room after all. An elegant older woman sat in a chair next to an empty hospital bed looking at her Ipad.

"Hello," she said trying to get the woman's attention. The woman stood and approached her bed.

"Alison, you are awake I see," she said.

Allie was felt quite confused as to how this woman knew her name. No one, not even her mother, called her Alison anymore.

"Do you know where is my mom is," she asked trying but failing to keep the note of terror out of her voice.

The woman came closer then sat in the chair next to her bed.

"Your mother is being brought to the hospital as we speak." the woman said in a kind voice.

It was weird, but the woman's presence actually made her feel a lot better.

"Is she ok?" Allie asked.

"I understand that she is uninjured," the woman explained but she sounded a little worried.

In all of her concern about her mother, she had not taken a good look at the woman until now. The light bulb went off but it made no sense. This woman looked so much like the editor of Runway Magazine. She and her mother were both fans of the magazine and they routinely went through every page together.

What she could not figure out was what on earth would Miranda Priestly be doing in her hospital room.

"Are you Miranda Priestly?" the girl asked.

Allie was nearly certain that she would say, "oh I get that all the time, but no, I'm not her."

Instead, the woman squared her shoulder a little and said, "well who else would I be."

Allie looked on amazed as the woman even gave her a wink.

"Oh my god, you are her," Allie exclaimed.

Her curiosity got the better of her so she asked, "what are you doing here."

After she spoke she quickly realized that her question sounded pretty rude.

Miranda just smiled at her then said, "you get straight to the point don't you."

Allie could somehow tell that the woman was much more amused than offended by her question.

Miranda continued, "this is not just your hospital room, it also belongs to someone I care deeply about who was injured."

"Are they ok?" Allie asked suddenly looking at the empty bed with sudden concern.

"They will be, the Doctors are running some more tests right now," Miranda responded.

Allie looked mollified to know that Miranda's someone special was ok. The girl's concern for a stranger touched Miranda deeply.

"How like my Andrea," she thought.

"Well, I will keep you company until your mother arrives," Miranda said.

"Oh, you don't have to do that."

"You looked busy when I woke up," she concluded.

"Someone fairly recently has taught me that family is more important than anything else," Miranda countered.

"But we aren't family," Allie said with true confidence in her convictions.

"How do you know that we aren't family," Miranda teased enjoying the interactions with this girl. In a way, it felt how she imagined it would be to talk to Andrea at this age.

"Well, I think that my mom would have told me If I was related to the editor of our favorite magazine."

"Ah, I will concede that point to you."

The girl looked very smug now that she had outwitted this formidable woman.

"Of course, it is possible that your mother did not know that you and I were related."

That brought Allie up short, now she was very curious as to why Miranda Priestly seemed to believe that they were related.

"Ok, how do you prove that we're related?" Allie asked.

Now she felt like she was back on solid ground knowing that she had stymied the woman for good this time. Instead of folding, however, the woman did something to her Ipad then handed it over to Allie.

Allie took the Ipad and saw a beautiful little girl with blue eyes like Miranda's but dark hair and features that looked more like her and her mom. She looked up at Miranda confused once again.

"That is my daughter Madeline Elise Priestly."

Allie was now more intrigued than anything else. Her mother never really spoke much about her family and her father was a monster and she didn't want to know anything about his family.

After another moment of contemplation, she finally asked, "why did you pick Elise for Madeline's middle name."

She is named for my spouse's favorite Aunt. Allie spent a moment trying to process what she was being told.

"So you're married to my mom's nephew?"

"Not exactly," came a new voice as a dark-haired woman was wheeled into the room next to Miranda. Allie looked at the newcomer expectantly.

"Hi Allie, I'm Andy Priestley."

"I'm your mother's niece, which makes us cousins."

Allie's eyes got wide as saucers as she said, "you married Miranda."

It was said with such awe that Andy had to force herself not to laugh. Miranda was very proud of her wife's ability to control herself after accurately predicting that this situation would touch her odd sense of humor.

"Yep gave her a ring and everything," Andy said a little too smugly.

Miranda just rolled her eyes at her wife's familiar antics.

"So why have I never met you before?" Allie finally asked.

Both women sobered considerably with that question.

"Allie that is a long story and I think it is really important for your mother to be here for it."

"In the meantime Miranda and I wanted you to know that you are not alone, that we are family, and that you can always count on us."

END OF PART ONE:

AN: I hope you enjoyed this portion of the story. If so good news part two will be another thirteen chapters maybe more. I will start posting chapters from part two soon. Thanks to everyone who read and a special thanks to those who took the time to comment. The comments are good motivation to keep moving these stories forward.


	12. Chapter 12

Part 2

Chapter 12

ONE YEAR LATER:

"How are you feeling," Anna asked her patient.

"The headaches still happen but not as often now," the woman responded.

"Well given where all of this started, I'd say you've made excellent progress," Anna commented.

"How's the leg doing."

"Don't you worry Doc, I will be more than able to walk down the aisle next week."

The doctor's blush made Andy laugh. Her soon to be stepmother was not use to having this type of relationship with a patient. As a matter of fact, this would be the last time that Dr. Stern would be able to act as her Doctor. Anna had tried to back out once she and Ellen had become engaged but, Miranda quickly put a stop to that. For some a year seemed quick for a couple to meet, fall in love, and get married but, both Anna and Ellen had been certain that this was where things were going from the very beginning.

"I was not worried that you would be able to escort your mother down the aisle," Anna finally said.

"Good because I am looking forward to it, I don't know how you talked Miranda into being your best man," Andy commented genuinely curious.

Anna laughed at that. The fact that she had been Andy's doctor during a time that Miranda feared she would lose her wife meant the world to Miranda. She made that clear not just by helping to speed up her move to New York, but by providing a place for her and Ellen to live.

The message was clear, they were now her family and they always would be.

"All I had to do was ask," Anna responded with a smirk.

"It did not hurt that I decided that we would both be wearing tuxedos."

Andy felt a slight shiver run down her spine as she remembered seeing Miranda in the tux that Ralph Lauren designed for her himself. Miranda was, of course, gorgeous but, Andy had not expected how sexy the woman would look wearing menswear. Andy shuttered when she thought of what they had done to one another that night.

"You liked the way she looked, huh" Anna commented. Andy did not blush because she loved the hell out of her wife and was not in any way embarrassed about their rather active sex life.

"I did, and since my mother and I are a lot alike I suspect that you will have a very satisfying wedding night."

That statement did make Anna blush a lovely shade of red. Andy laughed at the doctor's sudden discomfort. If only she knew how much Andy knew about their love life. She and her mother had always been close and never had problems talking about any topic including sex. Now that they were both adults in relationships with women, they talked in great detail about their relationships. In fact, now that the twins were seventeen she was beginning to have that type of relationship with them as well. She forced herself back into the present moment to see the woman in front of her was still that lovely shade of red.

"I am glad you and my mother found each other,"

"I know that she is as happy as I can ever remember."

Anna was touched by Andy's words. The two of them got along well despite her natural instinct to keep an emotional distance between herself and her patients. In truth, she'd felt a kinship with both Miranda and Andy that was completely independent of her relationship with Ellen.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as an arm snaked around her midsection. She did not react as she knew only one person had permission to get so close.

This was confirmed as a familiar voice whispered in her ear, "In one week I am going to be Mrs. Ellen Stern."

Anna made it clear that Ellen did not have to take her last name but she was secretly pleased that she had chosen to. It spoke to the difference in their ages that Meredith had never considered taking her name and Ellen had never considered not taking it. The doctor soon found herself sandwiched between her soon to be wife and Madeline Elise Priestly.

The precocious kid had taken to both she and Ellen from the moment they met. She had nearly choked on her coffee when Madi had asked if she could call her Nana Anna. At the time she had stared daggers at Madi's moms who were both stifling laughter thinking that they had put her up to this. Later she figured out that this was just how Madi was. She was bright and intuitive and said what was on her mind without any filter whatsoever.

"We are going to get our dresses for the wedding," Madi said.

Anna was once again impressed at how precise the girl spoke. It was clear that both her "mommy" and her "mom" used proper English around their daughter at all times.

"Well I had better finish up with your mommy so you all can get going," Ann said.

"Plus I need to meet your mom for my tuxedo fitting."

"Mom said that she asked Ralph to redesign the first one so that it would fit all of your curves," Madi proclaimed.

Anna could feel rather than hear Ellen stifling her laughs against her back. She knew there was no point in fighting any of this. This was her family now and she would not change a thing.

She quickly finished up with Andy and walked out to the waiting room to see two redheads and brunette girl sitting in between. She reflected that it spoke well of Miranda and Andy that their girls had so readily taken Allie under their protection. It made her sad that Allie's mom was not currently able to care for her daughter. Elise was currently in a residential treatment facility not far from the city. In the meantime, the girl was living with the Priestley's but she also spent a lot of time with Her and Ellen as well.

After kissing her soon to be wife goodbye she was about to head out. She asked Cassidy if she was coming along. Cassidy had decided that she wanted to stand up for Anna alongside Miranda. It touched Anna how completely included she had been made to feel by all of the Priestly women.

"Yeah sure," she responded then gave her little sister and Allie hugs and a simple fist bump with her twin. Although the two girls appeared on the surface to be identical Anna had quickly learned that their personalities were separate and distinct. Her acknowledgment of their innate differences had been appreciated by both girls and made their relationship easy to manage. It had been a little more difficult for the girls and Ellen at first. They knew that Andy loved her mom but they also knew how much Ellen's mistakes had hurt their younger mother.

The girls were fiercely protective of both mothers. She had asked Andy once how she had gotten so close to the girls. Andy told her the story of how she had unexpectedly become pretty good friends with Miranda's ex and the girl's father Jeffery.

"We just hit it off right away," Andy had said.

"Miranda acted as if it bothered her but she liked the fact that I would interact with him so she wouldn't have to."

When Jeffery had gotten sick and then died soon after the girls could tell how genuinely sad Andy was about the loss of her friend. Miranda was sad too but her sadness was for her girls.

"I was sad for them too but I also just missed Jeffery."

"We really bonded during that time and have had our own relationship that is separate and unique from their relationship with Miranda ever since."

Anna, who had no previous experience with children, used this advice and had taken the time to forge separate relationships with all three of Ellen's granddaughters and her niece as well. She had been surprised to find out she was actually pretty good at this. So good that she was starting to rethink her stance on having children. She cringed a little internally because she was not sure how that conversation with Ellen would go.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Have you had lunch," Anna asked Cassidy as they hit the street in front of the hospital.

"I could eat," was Cassidy's immediate response.

A short while later they walked into the door of a dinner they both liked. It was one of the things that she and Cassidy bonded over. Their love for occasionally eating at a greasy spoon style dinner. They both ordered eggs and pancakes even though it was well past breakfast.

"Are you nervous about the wedding," she asked Cassidy. Cassidy laughed then said, "I think I should be asking you that question."

Anna thought for a moment then responded, "No I love Ellen and I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"Besides I have been through all this before."

"With Meredith?" Cassidy prompted.

Anna smiled and said, "yeah with Meredith."

Anna reflected that her life was so different now. After Meredith's death, she had thrown herself into work so that she would not have to think about all that she had lost. Ellen had changed all of that. She had neatly insinuated herself into Anna's life with the result that both women were now deliriously happy. Now she could look back at her time with Meredith with fondness instead of the bitterness she had felt from the time of her diagnosis.

"Do you miss her?" Cassidy gently asked.

"A part of me always will, but she would not want me to live in the past and she definitely would approve of my relationship with Ellen."

"So are you sure you aren't nervous about being a groomswoman."

Cassidy laughed at the term groomswoman. She had gotten used to a lot of gender-bending since she found herself with two mothers.

"No, we were bridesmaids for mom when she and Andy got married," Cassidy commented.

"What was their wedding like?" Anna asked.

"It was pretty crazy because the media went nuts when they found out about mom and Andy."

"So we snuck away to Maine for a small ceremony and this really neat national park up there."

"Miranda got married in a park?" Anna asked not quite believing the story.

"It wasn't like that, this place was like really neat."

"It was just Mom, Andy, Car, Me, Nigel, Emily, and Serena."

"Oh, and Patrick was there as a guest and photographer."

"They both wore dresses though."

Anna laughed at that then said, "I am sure that they looked amazing."

"They really did, Mom used the picture of the two of them in the magazine for her letter from the editor photo."

"There was also a spread featuring the wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses."

"I think that it's still the highest selling edition of Runway ever."

The young woman and the doctor finished their lunch then made their way over to Runway to meet Miranda. They were greeted by Emma in the Elias Clark building lobby. As they were being escorted up, Cassidy pulled Emma aside and inquired how she was doing today. Emma seemed uninterested in having any conversation with Cassidy however as she answered all of Cass's questions with curt one-word answers. Cass was not put off by this, she knew that Emma was aware of her feelings but she was scared of what her mother would say.

Anna and Cassidy were escorted into Miranda's office where they were met by the editor, Ralph Lauren himself, and an assistant. Miranda handed the two women their tuxes and asked Cassidy to show Anna to the closet where they could change.

After the women returned the assistant made adjustments on Cassidy's tuxedo first and then start working on Anna's. As Ralph and Miranda fussed over the fit of Anna's tux, Cass went and changed back into her street clothes. As she walked back to her mom's office she lingered around Emma's desk. "It's now or never," she thought as she approached. She stood directly in front of the assistant's desk and waited for the young woman to look up. Cass's patience eventually paid off as the other woman raised her pretty eyes to meet Cassidy's.

"Would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to Anna and Ellen's wedding?" Cass asked.

Emma frowned then said, "I am not sure that is such a good idea."

Cass was not bothered by this answer at all. She had anticipated some level of resistance but her answer was far from, "no," or worst yet, "I don't swing that way."

"Why don't you think it's a good idea?" she asked hoping she had correctly anticipated the answer.

Emma looked flustered and began to blush before she answered.

"Well, you know uh," Emma began not quite expecting such a straightforward approach from Cassidy.

"You're under 18," Emma finally blurted out.

Cassidy was pleased as this was one of the concerns she was prepared to address.

"I am 17 which is the age of consent in New York, plus I will be 18 in a few weeks (more like a month but that was not exactly a lie)."

Emma had been surprised by that fact Cassidy had really thought all of this through. In truth, she was terrified of Miranda finding out she was dating her little girl.

Her fear got the best of her and she finally voiced it, "Your mother would kill me."

Emma was not sure what Cass's response would be but she did not expect the girl to start laughing. Cass could tell that the laughter had been a mistake but how could this smart woman have a thought that was so dumb. Her mother loved her and she was well aware of how she felt about her assistant. Further, she had the blessing of both of her moms before she had made this offer. She briefly cursed her younger mother for passing on her tendency for laughing at inappropriate times.

She calmed her features and approached Emma. She took her hand and looked directly into her eyes.

"Mom knows that I like you and she is OK with it."

"So the only real question is do you want to go with me?" Cass asked.

Cass's heart was in her throat as she knew this was the real moment of truth. She did not need to worry as a warm look appeared on Emma's pretty face.

"OK, I will go to the wedding with you but we will not be having sex until you are at least 18."

Emma was suddenly appalled that she had said that last part out loud. She had a bad habit of not filtering her thoughts when she was nervous. Cass was surprised that Emma was thinking about the two of them having sex. Cass, on the other hand, had thought about having sex with Emma for two years now. Her feeling went a lot deeper than that and the sheepish look on Emma's face plus the deep blush present on her cheeks only made Cass fall a little harder for her.

She squeezed Emma's hand and said, "we can take things a slow as you want."

Emma could feel the earnestness of Cass's words and instantly calmed. She had been ashamed to admit her growing feeling for Cassidy Priestly thinking she must be some sort of perv for being attracted to her boss's teenage daughter. Knowing that Miranda approved of her going on a date with Cass helped but what made the difference was the fact that Cass had approached her and was now doing everything in her power to put her at ease. She had assumed that because she was older that if they ever were in a relationship she would have to take the lead. But the truth was she had little experience dating and none at all with women.

The way Cass had taken the lead made her wonder just what the dynamic would be between them. Her thoughts were cut off as she heard Miranda's voice speak up, "There will be a car at your door around eleven make sure you are ready on time."

Cass had assumed that her mother and Anna for that matter had been listening to their conversation. Cass leaned in and gave Emma a chaste kiss on the cheek before letting her hand go and whispering, "I am looking forward to our first date.".

The little squeak that came out of Emma's mouth was the most adorable thing that Cass had ever seen.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Andy sat in her study trying to work on her new book. Her previous book "The Missing," was still number one on the New York Times Best Sellers List for the first 28 weeks after its release. Her publisher was sure that it would stay there until at least the end of the year. Andy normally stopped thinking about her books the second she wrote those magical words "The End." Of course, this book was different. The story of the missing women and the one that was found had changed her life forever. First, it had brought Allie into her family. The girl was bright and witty and fit in with her girls like they were sisters instead of cousins. The reunion with Elise had been good but they had quickly learned that her time as a captive had taken a toll on the woman. The cheerful outgoing young woman she had known was now skittish and scared. It had broken Andy's heart to see Elise so broken.

Both she and Miranda had fully supported Elise's decision to temporarily commit herself to a private institution that specializes in post-traumatic stress disorder. Elise had demonstrated all of the signs of PTSD but everyone had ignored it until things finally came to a head one afternoon. Allie had called Andy in a panic saying that her mother was sitting in a corner and she would not stop crying. After that day Allie had come to live with the Priestley's. Once Elise came out of her near-catatonic state she quickly realized that if Allie had really needed her help she was in no position to give it.

Allie too had symptoms of PTSD but her mother had done her best to keep the violence that her kidnapper dished out away from her daughter. Allie had therapy sessions twice a week and was always accompanied by herself, Miranda, aunt Ellen or Aunt Anna.

Andy was pulled away from her dark thoughts by the sound of the doorbell. Right on time, she thought as she got up to answer the door. Stephanie Reyes stood on her doorstep.

"Hey, come on in," she said to the tall raven haired Hispanic woman.

Stephanie entered and was ushered into Andy's study.

"What do you have for me?" Andy asked excitedly.

Reyes handed over an envelope with her trademark half smile. Andy quickly took the envelope and dived right in. After five minutes of looking she found the nugget of gold.

"Holy shit," Andy said looking at her guest for confirmation.

The slight head nod revealed to Andy that this was as big and she thought it might be. The book she was working on was a story about how a corrupt real estate deal made the current New York Governor a very rich man. She was now looking at evidence that tied that same man to the cover-up of a murder.

Andy had decided after her incident with Brian Davis that she needed to take fewer risks when it came to her research. After many conversations with Stephanie Reyes, Andy had made the woman an offer to not just be her researcher but to give her a writing credit on "The Missing," and on any future books that she collaborated on. She had been a little surprised at how easy it had been to talk the detective into taking her offer. She had later come to find out Stephanie had been deeply affected by her experience saving Elise and killing Brian. Reyes had come to feel responsible for Elise and now she was currently the only person on Elise's approved visitor list. Something about the former detective's no-nonsense personality gave Elise comfort. According to Reyes, Elise was working her way up to being able to visit with her daughter and the rest of her family. Reyes cleared her throat to get Andy's attention.

"So what's next?" the investigator inquired.

"We need to get as much information about the murder as we can."

"You can talk to the original detectives, while I talk to a friend who was an editor at the Times during that period."

Andy was excited about the impact this story could have. She had no problems with the Governor's political views but she had met the man on a number of occasions and did not think much of him as a person. More importantly, she was on the hunt to uncover the truth. In the end, the quest for truth more than anything else is what drove Andy Priestley.

The two women said their goodbyes and agreed to touch base in a few days evening.

"Are you coming to the wedding?" Andy asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I'll be there," Reyes responded.

Andy thought that she caught a little sadness in Stephanie's tone. Andy knew that Reyes and her Aunt's relationship was complicated but she could tell that her writing partner and new friend cared deeply for her aunt.

"I wish that Elise could be there too, but we both know that she is in the best place for her right now," Andy said.

Reyes acknowledged Andy's words but kept whether she agreed or not to herself.

Andy had just finished making plans to meet Allen Watson, her journalist friend, to discuss media coverage surrounding the murder of the current Governors old business partner when she heard the front door open and close. She started to get up to greet her wife when Miranda strode into the room. Andy stopped in her tracks as she watched Miranda enter. She was resplendent in a men's styled white suit with a blood red french cuff shirt underneath and four-inch heels. Andy's could instantly feel her skin break out in gooseflesh. This side of Miranda was so new to her. Andy had always found Miranda's dragon lady persona both powerful and highly erotic but this added hint of a masculine side added an entirely different dimension. To be honest it was driving her crazy how much she was into this side of the woman she loved.

She knew that the girls were spending the night with her mother and Anna so she just stood there waiting for Miranda to make the first move. She did not have to wait for long as her wife approached her.

"May I assume that you like what you see," Miranda almost purred.

Andy just nodded her head because she had been temporarily robbed of her ability to speak. Miranda's knowing chuckle only made things worse. Miranda's laugh was throaty and only added to her sex appeal. Miranda threw her head back as she continued laughing. When she brought her head back to level her perfect forelock dropped in front of her right eye at a very rakish angle. Miranda started to speak until she took a look into her wife's eyes. The look of sheer animal lust took Miranda's breath.

Without another word, Miranda turned on her heel and began to leave the room. As she crossed the threshold she looked over her shoulder and said, "Are you coming, Andrea."

Andy did not miss the double meaning of Miranda's last statement. She quickly shut down her computer and locked up her notes. She had learned her lesson about leaving this stuff around for little eyes to see.

By the time she got to the bedroom, she was surprised to see that Miranda was not in their bed or anywhere in sight. It took just a moment for Andy to realize that Miranda was in her closet. That disappointed Andy greatly because she most certainly did not want her wife to change clothes.

Miranda appeared a moment later wearing the same outfit. Andy started to ask what she was doing in the closet but before she could form any words Miranda approached her. Before she knew what was happening Andy found herself being pushed backward on to their bed. In a flash, she was laying on her back with Miranda on top of her. Miranda Priestly was in Andy's opinion one of the great kissers of all time. If asked she could not tell you why Miranda was so good at it but she always seemed to know just what technique would drive Andy crazy at that very moment. This time was no different. Miranda was more aggressive than usual as she explored Andy's mouth with her very talented tongue.

Andy was already pretty worked up when Miranda went in for the kill. Miranda had learned very early in their relationship that the juncture between her neck and shoulder was a potent erogenous zone for the younger woman. She wisely chose her spots as to when to take advantage of this knowledge. Miranda was now attacking that spot with vigor. Andy moaned and began thrusting her hips up as she desperately tried to find a point of contact for her now throbbing clit. She let out a hiss of surprised pleasure when her body made contact with something hard in Miranda's pants. Andy reached out her hand and made contact between Miranda's legs. Her eyes got wide as saucers and she pulled her hand away realizing what she had just touched. The two of them had, of course, experimented with all types of aides but to date, it had always been Andy who wore the phallus. Andy looked into Miranda's eyes and nodded her head indicating that whatever Miranda wanted to do to her she was more than game.

Miranda pulled back and took off her jacket but left the rest of the outfit on. Andy drank in how sexy and in control Miranda looked before she approached the bed again. As Miranda approached Andy reached for the zipper on her slacks and pulled down the front facing zipper.

Miranda never wore the phallus for fear that she would look silly doing so. Andy now knew that she should not have feared that outcome. Instead, Miranda looked so damn sexy she could hardly stand it. As the phallus came free of the zipper, Andy could not take her eyes off of it. All of a sudden she could not wait another second; she pulled Miranda close and whispered take me now into her ear.

That apparently was all of the motivation Miranda needed. In a flash, Andy's skirt as pushed up toward her hips and her panties were off. The younger woman grunted with pleasure as she felt Miranda's weight drop down on her and phallus entered her warm center. They quickly settled into a rhythm meeting each other's thrust in near perfect timing. Andy locked eyes and was once again captivated by the intense blue eyes staring back at her. Andy had always been drawn to Miranda's eyes and now she could not look away. She kept her eyes open and staring at her stunning wife as her orgasm approached and then rolled over her in waves of pleasure.

Later she held Miranda as they both lay naked in bed. After a brief respite, she had more than returned the favor not resting until Miranda had reached climax twice. Now they lay relaxed as she told Miranda about her conversation with Reyes and what they were going to do next. She also told Miranda how the dress fitting had gone.

"Donatella really outdid herself this time," Andy gushed.

"Mom just lit up when she saw herself in the dress for the first time."

"I am glad she liked the dress," Miranda commented earnestly.

Andy reflected that Miranda and her mom had actually formed a tight bond during her time in Cincinnati General. Miranda told Andy about the tux fitting and how Ralph had surprised her with the white suit. She also relayed Cassidy's successful attempt to secure a date for the wedding with Emma.

"How do you feel about this," Andy asked.

"I believe that in many ways Cassidy is far more mature than Emma," Miranda answered.

"That is not to say that I believe that Emma is particularly immature or unworthy of our daughter's affection." she continued.

"I know what you mean, the girls did a lot of growing up when their father died," Andy commented.

"I know that I have said this before, but you did so much for them during that time," Miranda said.

"You helped them in ways that I simply was incapable of."

"We are a team Mrs. Priestly," Andy said.

"Indeed" was Miranda's simple reply.

Andy loved these moments with Miranda. As attracted as she was to Miranda physically, it was this Miranda she had fallen in love with. It was Miranda's brilliant, witty, dangerous mind that she loved most of all. She loved this complicated brilliant woman and she always would.

AN: I took 13 previous chapters to finally get our two ladies in bed. What was I thinking? Hope you all enjoy and as always I appreciate your comments.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Ellen Stern was just finishing her shift as a physician in training at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. She wasn't officially a Stern yet but it was what everyone already called her. She and Anna had made no secret of their relationship and now engagement so the name had come naturally to their friends and coworkers. It was a testament to how loved and respected she and Anna were that no one even teased them about their relationship.

Ellen was initially given the benefit of the doubt but she had quickly proven herself worthy of the younger doctor's affections and more importantly the name Stern. Ellen had known that it was not just Anna's reputation she had to uphold but that of her mother Dr. Alice Stern as well. The elder Dr. Stern was the first woman to lead the cardiology department at this hospital. In fact, she had been the first woman to head cardiology at any hospital on the east coast of America.

With those big shoes to fill Ellen, who had always been a good student, always tried harder, studied longer, and outworked all of her classmates. She, as a result, was ahead of her already aggressive schedule. She knew that Anna was proud of her and she hoped that her mother-in-law would feel the same way.

Ellen quickly changed into her civilian clothes and made her way out of the hospital. Ellen had yet to meet Alice who had retired and now lived in Los Angeles. Alice had found success in her second career. She was now the lead consultant on the show Grey's Anatomy. Ellen had always wondered if Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Grey was loosely based on Anna. She defiantly saw similarities between Anna and the fictional character. Alice was flying in a couple of days in time to attend all of the pre-wedding events. Instead of twin bachelorette parties, her daughters were hosting a dinner party in their honor.

As Ellen walked out she exchanged greetings with the head nurse in the emergency room Willa Rosenstein.

"You made a good call yesterday with the Boroughs kid Dr. Stern," the nurse commented.

Ellen knew that coming from Nurse Rosenstein this was the highest praise.

"Thanks, Willa, It was lucky that I had just read a paper on that particular illness a few months ago."

"And it is a little early to be calling me Doctor," Ellen finished.

"Well you can wait for the medical board to make it official, but after yesterday you will always be Dr. Stern to me."

Ellen was very touched by the woman's words and told her so. On the street, Ellen debated whether or not she should take a cab to their place. Their apartment was less than half a mile from the hospital so most evenings she and Anna would stroll home hand in hand. Not tonight, however, tonight Anna was for the first time flying solo with all of the girls. Ellen decided that walking would be a measure of how much she trusted Anna to be in charge of her three granddaughters and her niece. As she walked home she reflected on how much she had enjoyed the dress fitting with Andy, Caroline, Allie, and Madi. She had seen the joy on each of their faces when they saw her in the dress for the first time.

The dress was a dream made just for her by one of the world's best designers. Having Miranda as a daughter did have its privileges after all Ellen happily thought. She was particularly pleased that Caroline had agreed to be a bridesmaid. Her relationship with the twins had gotten off to a rocky start. Both girls had been very guarded around her but Caroline had been almost hostile at times. Luckily for Ellen, she had an ace up her sleeve. She had shepherded Andy Sachs through her teen years. It was not that Andy had been a bad girl, far from it. Andy had just discovered her strong will as a teenager.

It had been very difficult for Andy's father as the two butted heads at every turn. Ellen, on the other hand, had known that she needed to give Andy some space to try to find her way. She had just stood by to help pick up the pieces on the occasions that her only child crashed and burned. So she had taken a similar tactic with the twins. She was present in their lives but she refused to push them. Her approach had eventually paid off with Cassidy first. The slightly younger twin began asking Ellen's advice about how to approach the young lady she had a crush on.

Ellen's recent experience with Anna had come in handy as she had gotten a text from Cass earlier today that she would indeed be bringing a plus one to the wedding. Caroline had been the harder nut to crack. Cassidy was the more emotional twin so Ellen had been able to use her gift to pick up on her moods and to act accordingly. Car was much more analytical and hid her emotions much better than any of the other Priestly women. It turned out their mutual love of music had been the bridge that finally brought them together.

Caroline had stumbled upon Ellen singing Roberta Flack's Killing Me Softly. After a brief but fierce debate about if Lauryn Hill had sung it better, the two had spent hours talking about songs and singers. After that day the two had bonded over their love of soul singers even if they did not always agree.

Ellen was only a block from home when it happened. She looked up in time to see a bluish flash of light followed by a deafening wave of sound. For a moment she just stood there transfixed trying desperately to make sense of what she was seeing. She was finally spurred to action when she heard the first cry for help. She grabbed her phone but instead of calling 911 she called the dispatcher at her hospital.

"This is Dr. Stern I have multiple injuries from an explosion."

She gave her location and disconnected as soon as the dispatcher acknowledged her call and told her that paramedics, police, and fire would be dispatched to her location. As people were streaming away from danger, Ellen felt her training kick in as she began sprinting towards the injured.

The first person she came across had a dislocated hip and possibly a broken pelvis but their vital signs were strong. She took out a marker and wrote a two on the man's forearm indicating that he needed immediate care but was stable. She moved on to the next person, after a quick check she was able to help the woman up and told her to head south which seemed to be the clearest of smoke. She kept making her way closer and closer to the center of the explosion marking two more people with twos along the way. Finally, she reached her first critical case. She immediately began performing CPR. She felt a level of relief as she heard the sounds of approaching sirens. As the first two sets of paramedics approached she told one set to take over CPR on her current patient and directed the other pair to the patients she had already triaged.

She spent the next ten minutes assessing the injured and assigning paramedics. She was working on another level one injury when a paramedic approached her.

"I need you to take this patient immediately," She instructed.

Instead of following her command the man ignored her and began to give orders to the paramedics.

"Ok everyone, stop what you are doing, we need to begin triage before we transport anyone," he shouted.

Ellen quickly spoke up, "Everyone please continue what you are doing."

The commanding tone of her voice apparently did the trick as all the paramedics save the one standing in front of her immediately carried out her orders. She tried again with the man in front of her.

"This man is level one and needs to be transported immediately."

"Who are you to order my paramedics around?" the man spoke as if he had not heard Ellen's words.

The old Ellen Sachs may have backed down or made her next words more conciliatory but Dr. Ellen Stern had no such intentions. She had spent nine months on an accelerated course of study, spent the last three months working in the ER, and most importantly a handful of days observing Miranda Priestly at Runway.

She gave the man her best Miranda glare as she said, "I am the most qualified person here to triage patients, so when I say that someone needs to be transported to the hospital immediately then I damn well mean immediately."

Her tone made it clear that his next words had better be, "yes ma'am." Fortunately for him, he got the message this time and took over working on her patient so she could continue assessing the injured.

Just as she stood a female paramedic ran up and said, "We need you over here doc."

Ellen did not hesitate as she followed the young woman over to see a young boy with a piece of metal protruding from his abdomen. She quickly kneeled and placed her hand on the boy's shoulder to stop him from trying to move.

"You need to stay really still for me, can you do that?"

The boy nodded his head and tried to be still. Ellen quickly realized that the metal had gone all the way through the boy. The steel was a part of a larger piece of concrete reinforcement.

She looked at the young paramedic and said, "go get a fireman with a cutting tool and a drill."

"We need to cut this metal and then get him to Presbyterian in the next six minutes."

She had intentionally left out, "or he is dead," from the end of her sentence.

She told the young woman's partner to get a backboard and be ready to move him as soon as he was cut free. The firemen arrived less than a minutes later. Ellen showed the first fireman where to cut the metal then she took the drill from the other fireman. She had the paramedics hold up the backboard. Their eyes went wide as she started to drill a series of holes into the backboard. Finally, she carved out a hole that suited her needs. As the firefighters finished cutting the steel away she had them roll the boy onto his side. She then lined up the backboard so the piece of steel protruding from the boys back fit neatly through the hole in the backboard.

They strapped the boy down, lifted the board, and took him to the ambulance. She was walking away when the female paramedic announced the boy was crashing. Ellen was briefly torn between going with the boy or continuing to triage patients. In the end, the decision was not hard. If she took no action the boy would be dead before they got anywhere close to the hospital. She jumped into the back of the ambulance and began working on the boy. She told the male paramedic to get them moving.

Ellen quickly realized that the boy was bleeding internally. She made a quick decision stood and straddled the boy's legs joining him on top of the backboard.

"I need a ten blade," she announced to the remaining paramedic.

When she did not move immediately, Ellen locked eyes with the young woman, "If I don't stop his bleeding he won't make it to the hospital alive."

That was enough to get Rose Martinez moving. She handed Ellen the blade before squirting an antibacterial solution around the entry wound. Ellen took a deep breath and walked through her next steps in her head. As soon as she felt the Ambulance begin to move she began cutting.

AN: I continue to be grateful for all of the fantastic feedback I've gotten from this story. Thank you all for reading my work.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

As Ellen made her first cut into the boy she could see his abdomen was filling with blood. She quickly reviewed in her mind the location and size of all of the abdominal arteries. Based on the amount of blood she thought she knew the source of the bleeding. She had the paramedic provide suction to remove some of the blood. She quickly checked along the artery in question finding the tear after just a few moments. She asked Rose for a clamp to tie off the artery but was quickly told that they did not keep that kind of equipment in the ambulance. Ellen without hesitation used two fingers on her left hand to stop more blood from escaping the damaged artery. After another round of suction, she began checking the remainder of the boy's organs, arteries, and veins. She was quite concerned with the condition of the boy's small intestine, but there was very little she could do at about it at the moment. Three minutes later the ambulance pulled into the hospital's loading zone.

Both paramedics carefully began moving the gurney out of the ambulance. Before they could make it very far multiple doctors and nurses came out to help. They were lifted out and rolled into the ER, where she spotted Dr. Cortez the head of thoracic surgery. She immediately ran down the boy's list of injuries and current status. She was not surprised when he ordered the team to bypass the ER and to move both of them directly into surgery. She was surprised when Doctor Cortez invited her to participate in the surgery.

"You stated this Dr. Stern so you may as well finish it."

As soon as they entered the operating room, Dr. Cortez clamped off the bleeding artery then he sent Ellen out of the operation room.

"Go, get on fresh scrubs, scrub within an inch of your life, and get back in here as soon as you can," the surgeon ordered.

As Ellen walked out of the operating room she was greeted by Nurse Willa holding a fresh set of scrubs. She thanked the nurse then quickly stripped down to her underwear. She looked up to see Willa Rosenstein begin to turn a lovely shade of red. She was wearing a rather fetching bra with a matching thong that had been purchased with the distinct purpose of arousing her soon to be wife. Nurse Willa was trying not to look but the woman was clearly getting an eyeful of the well-built doctor in training. Ellen did not feel embarrassed as she had become rather proud of her body based on all the attention Anna gave it. She tossed the other woman her phone and asked her to text Anna that she had responded to the explosion, that she was fine, and that she was going to assist in a surgery that would take several hours. With that accomplished, she quickly dressed and began to scrub her hands and forearms to remove any hint of bacteria.

She walked back into the operating room gowned and gloved. She approached Dr. Cortez to see that he was working to repair the damaged artery. He told her to start examining the intestines to identify the location of the damaged tissue as well as what could be salvaged.

Three hours later Dr. Cortez left Ellen to finish closing the boy's incision. The surgeon had been brilliant in removing just enough pieces of the intestine to remove the dead tissue. In the end, he removed just under two feet of the boy's small intestines in six separate areas. It had been delicate work but the boy would make a full recovery. Ellen felt a strong sense of satisfaction in what she had done to keep the boy alive.

She walked out of the operating room to see Dr. Cortez talking to a worried couple.

He motioned her over and then continued to speak, "As I was saying your son was very lucky to have one of our finest new Doctors on scene."

"Dr. Stern's quick intervention saved your son's life."

The couple thanked her profusely, "Thank you for saving our son," the older of the two men said.

She shook both of their hands then excused herself. It had been a long day, but she was wound up from the adrenaline rush. She walked out onto the loading dock where she bumped into one of the paramedics who had helped her save the boy's life.

"You want a smoke doc," Rose Martinez offered.

"No thanks," Ellen responded.

"I just came out here for some air."

"That was a hell of a thing you did doc," Rose stated.

"Call me Ellen, and you did pretty good yourself."

"I don't think I could do what you did," Rose responded.

"Taking control of the situation the way you did and the way you took on that lieutenant."

"You should have seen the look on his face when you told him off," Rose gushed.

"I learned that little trick from the best," was Ellen's cryptic response.

"What makes you think you couldn't have handled yourself?" Ellen asked really curious as to how Rose would answer.

She found herself quickly warming to the pretty young woman.

"I don't know, I wanted to be a doctor once upon a time, but it just never happened you know."

Ellen took a seat next to Rose as she considered her response for a second. She decided to share her story of giving up trying to be a doctor in order to concentrate on being a good wife and mother. She went on to explain how she had decided to go after her dream later in life.

"So there are always options to those with perseverance," Ellen concluded.

Rose looked thoughtful for a moment before she said, "Maybe you are right."

Rose hesitated for a moment trying to come to a decision. She decided that if Ellen had the courage to tell her story then so could she.

"I've been on my own since I was fourteen," Rose confessed.

Ellen was not expecting the young woman's shocking confession. She instantly felt the burgeoning connection with the paramedic grow. She looked at Rose with an open gaze and sent calm reassurance through her expression. She hoped the Rose would tell the rest of her story but she would not pressure her.

"That's when I came out to my parents."

"My father got so mad."

"He said that what I was was wrong."

"Against God!"

"I never expected my mother wouldn't defend me"

"She just sat there."

"She let him kick her only daughter out."

Ellen swallowed her sudden guilt seeing the obvious parallels to what happened with Andy. It did not matter that Andy was an adult and not a child nor did it matter that their disagreement had nothing to do with her daughter's sexual preference. Ellen suddenly felt a visceral need to erase the pain that had been caused by a mother, who like her at the time, lacked the proper perspective.

Rose was feeling raw and exposed but oddly comforted by having told her story. She did not know what she expected but being suddenly enfolded in a warm hug, was not it.

It took a moment for her to relax and then her tears began to run down her face. Rose knew that part of this was an after effect of the emotional experience they had shared saving a life.

The other part of this, however, had something to do with Ellen. She felt comfortable around the woman, feeling both an instant connection and a strong bond. She took a few minutes to compose herself. She was handed a few tissues which she used to clean her face. She thanked Ellen for listening before standing up.

"I should probably go," she started before she was interrupted by a new voice.

"There you are, I was told that you got out of surgery half an hour ago."

Rose looked in the direction of the voice and did an almost comical double take. She just could not be seeing what she was seeing?

Rose was a native of New York and you just did not grow up in this city and not recognize the iconic grey haired woman.

"You, You're Miranda Priestly," she finally managed?

Ellen looked up to see Miranda walk up the stairs to join them.

"I am," she responded to Rose's question before turning to Ellen.

"What are you doing here?" Ellen asked.

"I was dispatched by our wives to retrieve you and bring you to our home."

Ellen was about to ask why but Miranda answered the unspoken question.

"It is a long story, but suffice it to say everyone ended up back at the Townhouse because of the blackout."

Ellen suddenly remembered her manners and introduced Rose to Miranda.

"Rose this in my daughter Miranda, Miranda this is Rose she's a paramedic."

"She helped me save a boy's life tonight," Ellen further explained.

Rose was pleased about Ellen's description but was confused about how Miranda could be Ellen's daughter. She knew that the famous editor was prematurely grey but there was no way Ellen was even ten years older.

Miranda took pity on the young woman as she explained, "I am married to Ellen's daughter Andrea."

"Well, that makes sense" Rose replied.

"Wait so your daughter the author Andy Sachs?" Rose said turning toward Ellen.

"Yes, I have two very impressive and accomplished daughters," Ellen said with a full smile on her face.

At one point in her life, Miranda would not have accepted anyone other than her actual mother referring to her this way. Now, however, she was pleased to be referred to as Ellen's daughter. The woman had shown herself to be selfless in her approach to her family. She managed to form strong bonds with her daughters, her wife, and truth be told with Miranda herself.

"Oh, there you all are," Caroline Priestley said as she walked out of the hospital to join her mother and grandmother. She was stopped in her tracks when she noticed the other woman standing there. The dark-haired beauty suddenly took Caroline's breath away. Caroline had always thought it was a little strange that her twin had so readily shown a preference for girls, while she had not expressed must interest in her own gender. To date, she had only dated boys although none of them had stood out in any meaningful way. Now all of her previous notions about attraction were being tested. The woman standing before her was tall and slim-wasted, but she was not a stick, the woman had curves.

She looked up as she caught her grandmother talking, "Rose, this is my granddaughter Caroline.

"Caroline this is Rose, she's a paramedic who helped me save a boy's life tonight."

Rose was once again pleased to hear the praise coming from the impressive doctor. She did not fail to note the young woman's appraising look.

Apparently, she had not been the only one to notice based on Ellen's next words. "And she is newly single."

Rose liked the girl's immediate blush. The girl was pretty; a younger version of Miranda who Rose thought was quite attractive. She looked a little young but based on Ellen's words she was probably not too young. Rose had known for some time that her preferences went in a certain direction. She had more recently come to understand that she had a strong preference for pretty redheads.

Miranda had also noticed her daughter's gob smacked reaction to the pretty paramedic. She and Caroline had many long conversations about choices so she did not have any concerns about her daughter's decision making.

Suddenly Ellen offered up a suggestion, "Can I buy you a coffee," Miranda took the older woman up on the offer leaving the two young ladies time to work things out without an audience.

"Hey," Caroline said to the other woman.

"Hey," Rose responded.

Both of them tried to ask a question then laughed at their sudden awkwardness.

Caroline tried her question again, "So, you helped by grandmother save a little boy."

That apparently broke the tension as Rose started an animated dissertation on what happened. Though she gave much of the credit to her grandmother, Caroline was quite impressed with the young woman's actions.

"Wow, it sounds like you were really cool under a lot of pressure," Caroline complimented.

It was now Rose's turn to blush a little embarrassed but clearly pleased by Caroline's words.

"So, my grandmother let the cat out of the bag. I am single," Caroline stated with her fingers crossed behind her back. It took Rose a moment to realize what Caroline was saying. She decided there was one important question she needed an answer to before she responded.

"Caroline, how old are you?"

Rose was charmed once again at the lovely shade of red the girl turned. She stood there waiting for an answer with her fingers crossed behind her back.

"I am 17 but I will be 18 in a few weeks."

Rose let out a breath she did not realize that she was holding.

"Well Caroline, I am single but I am also twenty two, is that going to be a problem?"

What she did not add was, "for your mom," at the end of her question.

Caroline did pick up on her meaning and responded instantly, "Na, my Mom is quite a bit older than my Ma." Both girls looked at one another smiling broadly.

Miranda sipped her coffee that was far better than she expected for a hospital cafeteria.

"So, what do you know about this Rose?" she asked her mother-in-law.

"Well, I only met her tonight but I can tell you that she was cool under pressure," Ellen responded.

"I also know she wants to be a doctor but she has some confidence issues," Ellen explained.

"Luckily Caroline has enough confidence for both of them," Miranda commented.

Ellen marveled at Miranda's instant acceptance of her daughter's choices.

She spoke to Miranda wistfully, "You are a better mother than I was."

Miranda instantly understood Ellen's change of moods. Miranda and Ellen really had bonded during Andrea's unfortunate accident. The two now shared a version of the intuition that was common among the women in Andrea's family.

She grabbed her mother's hand and squeezed it before saying, "What matters is that you learned from past mistakes."

"If you had still been the woman who chose loyalty for her spouse over loyalty for her daughter, then you would not have won Andrea over nor any of our daughters."

Ellen wiped away a tear as she digested Miranda's words.

The woman was wise and she did have a point after all. Her entire life was not defined by her worst decision. She had worked damn hard to win over her daughters and granddaughters.

"So do you think we've given them enough time?" Ellen asked.

"If I know my daughter she has found herself a date to your wedding."

As the two women strolled back to the loading bay, Miranda explained exactly what happened to Anna. They had all been in the family room eating pizza and watching a movie when the explosion happened.

"The power went out at the same time," Miranda added.

"Anna did not think it was safe to stay in your building so she got the girls dressed and out in just a few minutes."

"It took them about an hour to make it to the townhouse on foot because they could not catch a taxi."

"Poor Anna," Ellen said feeling bad that Anna's first time going solo with the kids had gone so wrong.

"According to Madeline, her Nana led them go on quite the adventure," Miranda said.

"She did well, but she was worn out so Caroline and I volunteered to retrieve you."

The two women walked out on the loading dock but did not immediately see Caroline. Ellen stifled a laugh as they finally spotted Caroline and Rose sitting on the bench kissing. Miranda cleared her throat causing both girls to break apart like the other was suddenly on fire.

"Come along Caroline, It was nice meeting you Rose," Miranda said heading toward her car without looking back.

Ellen offered, "I guess I will be seeing you at the wedding," to the stunned young paramedic.

While Rose was pulling herself together, Caroline swiped the young woman's phone.

"Hey what are you doing?" Rose belatedly asked.

Caroline did not answer as she typed furiously. Then she posed for a selfie before tossing the phone back to the confused Latina.

Caroline then said, "now I'm in your phone."

Rose checked her contacts but did not see Caroline's name.

She started to say something to Caroline before the girl spoke: "Look under My Boo."

Rose had to laugh at Caroline's cheek. Any concerns about maturity had gone out the window after their conversation. To be honest Caroline probably had her stuff together at least as good as she did.

"You can rename it to whatever you want," Caroline commented.

Rose responded, "Na, I think I like where it is."

Caroline smiled, waved, and went to catch up with her mom and grandmother.

It did not take them long to get home as it was well after midnight. When they got into the house they found Cassidy and Andy in the kitchen.

"Hey Ma, you want some dinner?" Andy asked.

Ellen realized that she had not eaten in quite some time so she told Andy, "I'm famished."

Andy warmed her leftovers from the previous night. Ellen inhaled the smell of Andy's take on her eggplant parmesan recipe.

"This is great, sweetheart," Ellen commented before tucking in.

While Ellen was eating, Caroline pulled Cassidy aside.

"I met someone tonight," she told Cassidy excitedly.

Before she could say more she felt her phone vibrate. She asked her sister to wait a moment before she checked her phone.

"Just wanted to make sure my boo made it home ok," came the text from Rose.

Caroline quickly texted her reply "Yeah, I made it home just fine, was just telling my sister about you."

"Good to know, hope I get a good report," was Rose's reply.

"Well, I can definitely tell her ur a good kisser." Caroline sent with a smiley face emoji.

"If I had a sister, I would tell her the same," Rose responded.

Caroline blushed a little as she read the last message.

Rose sent another message "Ok, enjoy talking to your sister, tell her I said hi."

Caroline promised that she would and told her that she would talk to her later today after she got some sleep.

"Sweet Dreams," with a heart emoji was Rose's final message.

Cassidy looked at her sister in a new light. She had never seen Car this excited about a new "friend."

"So who's the lucky guy?" Cass asked.

Caroline was about to correct her when she got another text.

She checked it and saw a very cute selfie from Rose with the message "now you have a picture to go with my contact."

Caroline raised her phone to show Cass a picture of her new "guy."

Cassidy's eyes got wide as she saw the pretty young Latina.

"Wow, Car she's really pretty." Cas said as she grabbed the phone to get a closer look.

"Wow, honey she is quite the looker," Andy commented looking over Cass's shoulder

Caroline tried not to blush now that all eyes in the kitchen were on her.

"Well us Priestly-Sachs woman sure no how to pick-em," Cassidy announced. They all laughed at Cass's quite accurate statement.

"What's so funny," Anna asked as she walked into the kitchen. Ellen took the woman into her arms before placing a memorable kiss on her fiancé's lips.

"Cass was just commenting that all of us had done well in the woman department," Ellen explained.

Anna was still looking confused as she and Caroline had just discussed her lack of a love life after her latest breakup. Caroline decided to tell everyone about meeting Rose and inviting her to be her date for the wedding. She decided to leave their kiss for separate conversations later with Cass and her Ma.

The impromptu late-night meeting soon broke up with the twins going to Cass's room to discuss all the gory details. Ellen and Anna made their way to their preferred guest room. Andy made Miranda a cup of decaf, then they sat together for a little while enjoying each other's company.

"So, tell me about this Rose?" Andy asked excitedly.

Andy was very happy about Caroline's new exuberance. The girl had not had a great deal of luck dating thus far so Andy had her fingers crossed that this time would be different. Miranda explained what she had already found out about the young woman. Neither of them was concerned about the age difference for obvious reasons. Andy leaned in to kiss her wife to share the sudden happiness she was feeling. The kiss was eagerly returned. The two spent the next few minutes reveling in the strong bond they shared with each other.

I wanted to get a update out today just to say Happy Thanksgiving for all of you to which that is a thing. For everyone else Happy Fourth Thursday in November and I hope you enjoy the update.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17.

Anna and Ellen made their way up to their preferred guest bedroom. Neither woman was ready to sleep having both experienced adrenaline rushes but for entirely different reasons. The two women sat on the bed and began relaying their day to the other. Anna started first explaining to Ellen about hearing the explosion followed by the power going out.

"The twins kept their cool, but poor Allie panicked a little," Anna said.

"What about Madi?" Ellen inquired.

"Oh, she thought the whole city was playing a game just for her amusement," Anna replied with a laugh.

Ellen joined her laughter, loving to hear about her youngest granddaughter's antics. The girl reminded her so much of Andy as a child with a little of Miranda's haughtiness and the twins mischievousness thrown in. She loved all four girls more and more each day.

"Once we got Allie calmed down, I called the hospital switchboard to find out what happened," Anna said.

"They let me know about the explosion and that they were expecting multiple incoming casualties."

"I knew that you were just getting off, so I assumed that you would be working," Anna commented.

"I wanted to keep everyone in the apartment but once I knew that the power would probably be out for a while I had to change my plans."

"Allie wasn't going to do well in the darkened apartment all night."

"I tried calling Andy but by then the cell lines were overwhelmed and I couldn't call out."

"So you decided to walk," Ellen said evenly.

"Well, I had hoped to catch a cab," Anna mentioned.

Ellen grabbed Anna's hands and squeezed before saying, "I'm proud of you for handling everything so well."

Anna kissed her soon to be wife.

Ellen went on to describe how she'd been caught in the middle of the response to the explosion. Anna's eyes widened as she heard how Ellen dressed down a paramedic supervisor. She laughed at Ellen's description of stripping to her bra and thong in front of Willa.

"She may be married to a man, but she likes looking at the ladies," Anna admitted.

"Well, she got her money's worth tonight," Ellen said.

"The set I'm wearing is pretty skimpy," Ellen commented with a smirk.

"She probably knows what my nipples look like if she was looking close enough," Ellen said.

"I bet after tonight she can pick them out of a line-up," Anna joked.

Ellen laughed hard at the visual of Willa Rosenstein surrounded by police, flipping through a book, before she exclaimed: "That's that one, I would recognize those nipples anywhere."

They kissed again. Ellen loved how much she and Anna laughed together. This relationship was so different from the final several years of her marriage Ellen thought.

She would marry Anna tonight if she could but Ellen wanted her mother there. The truth was that Ellen wanted Andy and Miranda and their girls there too.

Ellen finished her story after which, Anna told Ellen how proud she was of her for the way she handled the injured boy.

Ellen then excused herself and head to the bathroom. She told Anna that she loved her but she needed to pee and take a shower in that order. She stayed in the shower for a while hoping it would calm her wired nerves. She stepped out, dried herself, and slipped into a robe. She walked out expecting to find Anna already asleep. Instead, she found the woman lying in bed staring back at her. She also noticed that her shoulders were now suspiciously bear. Ellen smiled wickedly as she dropped her towel.

Andy kissed Miranda one last time before letting her head up to their bedroom.

"Don't be long," Miranda said in a sultry voice.

Andy had come to know and love that voice. It meant that Miranda was drunk or horny or both. Tonight Andy knew that Miranda had not been drinking, so. Andy had half a mind to just follow her wife immediately but she had learned over their many years together that the longer they delayed their gratification the more each would be rewarded.

So she headed up to the second floor to check on their girls. That she now thought of Allie as one of their girls, was a testament to how the girl had so seamlessly become a part of their family. She checked Madi's room first but did not find the girl in her bed. She knew, had known, where her youngest would likely be so she moved on to Allie's room. Madi and Allie made an immediate connection. Somehow Madi knew that Allie needed someone to look after. It should not have surprised Andy as Madi was definitely her daughter and had shown from the very beginning that she shared their strong empathy gift.

Even as a baby Madi had a knack for choosing the mother who was most in need of her attention. Now she turned those skills on Allie and Allie had flourished as a result. Madi made Allie feel needed which in turn made her feel like she fit into the family instead of feeling like everyone had to take care of her.

Andy had to suppress the sound of her happy sigh as she looked into Allie's room. The two were curled up on the bed together in a pose that belonged on a greeting card. She watched the two for a few moments before closing the door silently.

Andy made her way down the hall pausing just outside of Cassidy's room. The two girls were talking softly but Andy could make out Caroline's detailed description of her meeting with Rose. Andy's eyes got wide as Caroline describe her feeling when she realized just how to best approach gauging the young woman's interest. She knocked on the door and was immediately invited in. The two girls clearly had something on their mind but she waited to give them the chance to ask the question when they were good and ready. She had learned over the years that the two could and would ask her anything at any time.

She had to suppress a grin as a memory swam into her mind.

The three of them had been sitting together in a similar fashion one night when Caroline, usually the instigator in these situations, asked her a question that she didn't see coming.

"Ma, do you masturbate."

Andy was glad she had swallowed her water before the question came out of nowhere. Andy replied without much hesitation

"Yes."

"Does mom?" Cass followed up.

"You would have to ask her, but what I will say is just about everyone does."

"Do you watch porn when you do it?" Caroline asked.

"Sometimes but not generally no."

"Porn can be addicting and most of it fails to give you a realistic view of what sex is really like," Andy commented.

There were no follow-up sex questions because they had, "the talk," years before.

"Why do you masturbate when you and mom have each other?" Cass asked.

"Well sweetie, you will learn that sometimes your partner will want sex when you don't and vice versa."

"Your urges don't go away just because your partner is not in the mood."

"Sometimes your mom and I are apart for work and sometimes we do it next to each other," Andy admitted.

"I thought you said weren't going to tell us if mom did it," Cassidy helpfully pointed out.

"Oops, forget I said that last part," she replied a little sheepishly.

"How do you do it," Cass asked.

"Sometimes with my hands, but usually with a vibrator."

"What kind?" Caroline asked.

Now Andy thought she knew where this conversation was headed.

"I'll be right back," she said.

She went into her closet and retrieved her backup that was still in the box.

When she got back she handed over the box and said, "Open it if you want."

They both looked a little scandalized at the suggestion.

"That one is new and unused," Andy assured them.

"Your mom and I both have one like that and something smaller for when we have to travel."

"So mom's is just like this," Caroline said smirking. Andy winced a little having once again revealed something that really should be up to Miranda to reveal if she chose to.

"If you have this conversation with your mom just pretend you don't know anything about her habits will ya," Andy suggested.

Both girls laughed saying that there was no way they were having this conversation with their mom.

"It can be intimidating to sit Miranda Priestly down and ask do you masturbate and how," Cass said earnestly.

"Yeah we like that we can ask you anything and you'll give us a serious answer," Caroline added.

"How does it work," Cass asked?

"This one is rechargeable so you just pull it out and hit the button."

"Then you press the head against your clitoris until you orgasm."

"It's pretty powerful so I usually use it outside of my underwear," Andy explained.

"How often do you use it?", Cass asked.

"I don't keep a chart or anything but I use it whenever I need it."

"When was the last time," Caroline asked.

"About an hour ago."

"While we were in the house," both girls said.

"Yep, that's why they put locks on doors," Andy smirked.

Both girls looked thoughtful for a moment before Cass decided to be the brave one this time.

"Ma, can you show us where we can buy one," she said

"Yeah, let me grab my Ipad."

Andy pulled up a site called jimmyjane before she began showing them all their options. She told them the pros and cons of each one. In the end, they both selected a rechargeable model similar to hers and a smaller travel model.

Miranda had appreciated Andy's forthrightness in answering the girls very private questions. She also got a kick out of what Cassidy had said about being too intimidated to ask her.

Miranda surprised the girls the next morning as they were having breakfast. She walked into the kitchen without warning and answered each of the girls' questions saying.

"Yes."

"Yes."

"No."

"I believe Andrea answered that for both of us."

"Vibrator."

"Whenever I feel the need."

"Last night."

Then she just stood there until the girls figured it out. She watched in amusement as they both got it simultaneously.

("Does she, Yes, Does Ma, Yes, Does she watch porn when she does it, no, Why does she do it when she has ma, same as Ma's answer, How does she do it, vibrator. How often does she do it, whenever she feels the need, When was the last time she did it, last night)

Andy was pulled from the fond memory as the girls finally got the courage to ask what they wanted to know.

"Cass and I were just talking about the similarities between how we both felt this immediate connection to Emma and to Rose," Caroline said.

"When did you figure out you were in love with mom?" Cassidy asked.

Andy should have been worried about this conversation because some would say the girls were too young to find real love. Andy thought differently though if she had met Miranda when she was seventeen she would have been just as in love even if she had to wait for a while.

"That is not a simple question," Andy began.

"On some level, I started falling in love with Miranda the first time I saw her."

"She was so beautiful and she intrigued me."

"Until she opened her mouth anyway," Caroling said.

They all knew how Miranda was back then.

"Yeah, I will admit I was immediately thrown for a loop by her shall we say directness."

They all laughed at that little understatement.

"It wasn't until I got to know the real Miranda that I realize that the Devil in Prada was just your mom's way of protecting herself."

"I guess I really knew, knew the last night in Paris."

"Just before you quit," Car said.

"Yeah, I told myself at the time it was because I hated her but that was so far from the truth. I loved her and it scared me."

"But how did you know?" Cass asked.

Andy realized that this was the crux of the conversation.

"I had been in love before you know," she said.

"Really?" Cassidy asked.

"Yeah really, a couple of times in fact."

"But, with Miranda it was different."

"I stood there in her hotel room and it just clicked in my head and I just knew."

Both girls shared a meaningful look.

"Ma, I think we may have your gift."

Andy sat there thinking for a moment. She did not doubt the girls in the least. She had seen Miranda work hard to develop her own version of deep intuition and empathy not just with Andy but with their girls, with Allie, and even with her mother and Anna. She had also known that the twins shared their own connection that was perhaps the strongest of all.

"How does that make you feel?" Andy asked figuring that it was the most important question.

Both girls looked at each other for a moment clearly happy that Andy had believed them immediately.

"I think it's really cool," Cassidy said.

"Yeah," Caroline echoed.

"There was this moment tonight when I just froze and I did not know what to do."

"Then something in my head just clicked."

"I just had this feeling that if I wasn't bold she would dismiss me like I was some kid or something," Caroline finished.

Andy was quite impressed with Caroline's audaciousness and she told her so. She gave both girls a hug telling them both how proud she and Miranda were of the young women they had become.

"We had good teachers," Cassidy said genuinely.

Andy smiled at her daughters before telling them not to stay up too late and letting them know that Madi was in Allie's room. She finally reminded them that Anna's mom was coming in tomorrow.

Andy left the girls and made her way up to the third floor. She was walking by her mother and Anna's room when she felt it. All of a sudden a strong wave of arousal flowed over her. She had not felt that come through her connection since the one time in college that she'd come home unannounced. She had walked past her parent's bedroom and got a full blast of Ellen Sachs mid-orgasm. The two had talked later about it. She found out that usually her mother did not allow herself to broadcast those feelings but she had not that time wrongly thinking that she was alone in the house.

Andy quickly moved past their room trying to put a little distance between her and the strong feeling coming from the guest room. Just as she reached her bedroom door she was stopped in her tracks by the feeling of a strong orgasm being broadcast across her link. It took a moment for her to calm a little. As she slipped into her room she realized that the connection she had just felt had not been with her mother but rather with Anna. She would have to have a talk with her soon to be stepmother about how to avoid broadcasting her orgasms. She hoped that she was the only one to feel that particular connection tonight. She strolled into the bathroom to see it pleasantly lit and to find Miranda luxuriating in their large tub. She could instantly tell by Miranda's darkened eyes that she too had been linked to the orgasming woman in the next room.

Miranda looked up and said, "I assume that you felt that too."

"I did," Andy said as she began removing her clothes.

"Apparently Anna is being rewarded for her courage and steadfastness in the face of adversity," Miranda said

Andy laughed at Miranda's way of describing what she would have just called a screaming orgasm.

Having accomplished her task Andy stepped into the tub and slid in behind Miranda.

She just held Miranda for a time enjoying their skin to skin connection. They also spent the time re-establishing their strong mental bond and blocking out Anna who was coming close to another big one. They could feel the waves of desire coming off each other. They continued to sit there and revel in the feeling of growing arousal.

They both knew this dance well as they had done it so many times before. They would allow the feeling to simmer, slowly approaching a boil before either of them would take any action. The water was warm and neither of them had anywhere to be the next morning. Andy began placing gentle kisses on Miranda neck and shoulders loving the feel of the other woman's smooth skin beneath her lips.

Andy had learned from the beginning that Miranda had somehow found the fountain of youth. She had been so excited to finally see the woman's body their first night together. She knew from what she had seen so far that she liked all of those parts but she had not been prepared for the reality of a nude Miranda Priestly. The woman had taken her breath away and she still did. Mirada turned her head clearly sensing the increased level of desire that her spouse was putting off.

Sometimes the two played a game a sort of battle for control. They would keep each other in this feeling of constant arousal until one or the other would break first. That had led to some rather interesting locations for lovemaking in their first years together. Now they seemingly had more control over themselves. Andy was re-considering that at the moment because if the two of them were currently live on Good Morning America then America would be getting an eye full right about now.

Andy broke first reaching a hand around and found a breast. She stroked the perky, yes perky, breast feeling the nipple grow even harder between her fingers. Miranda let out a low hiss as her will also broke.

Miranda turned and straddle Andy locking her legs around her waist. The two shared a heated kiss as their breast settled against each other. Andy hissed as her nipples and Miranda's nipples slid against each other. Andy loved the dichotomy of the firm and soft surfaces that her wife's body had to offer. Andy began to pant as Miranda placed her mouth on the juncture of her neck and shoulder and began alternating between kissing, sucking and biting. Just when she did not think she could take any more. Miranda pushed her away. Andy was confused for a second until she felt Miranda's hands slide under her ass. Miranda began pushing her up bringing her womanhood up and out of the water. Andy braced herself with her forearms against the side of the tub then held own for dear life. Miranda Priestly was on a mission. She nearly cried in relief as she felt Miranda's tongue push into her slick folds.

She moaned as she felt her canal begin to clinch around Miranda's tongue. She almost came as she felt Miranda's nose begin to nudge her clit.

Before she could grind herself on Miranda's face the woman withdrew. Andy began to protest but the tongue was back this time licking her outer lips. The feeling was so good that she just lost herself for a while. She let Miranda take her wherever and however she wanted her. The trust between them was so strong and had been from the beginning that nothing was off limits.

Andy had been on the edge of orgasm for what felt life forever. Her arms were close to giving out so she mentally sent, "now," to her soulmate. The response was instant as Miranda's talented tongue began to circle around her engorged clitoris. The circle grew tighter and tighter until finally, she made glorious contact. The effect was instant as she came hard panting, "OH, goddess Miranda," as she did.

Andy settled back into the water. She felt herself clench as she realized that Miranda had slid two fingers into her at the end. Those two fingers felt delicious in her as she sat there. Miranda made eye contact mentally asking if she wanted one more. She sent back, "hell yes," just before Miranda began moving her fingers in and out of her rapidly. They both knew in the moments right after an orgasm that what she was doing would produce a second and quickly.

Andy did not disappoint this time yelling "Oh fuck that's it, Miranda," as the second and just as intense orgasm hit her.

It took a few moments for Andy to come back to herself having spent the last several minutes orbiting a new astral plane. When she looked at Miranda the older woman swallowed visibly. Miranda took on a bit of a deer in headlights look knowing full well what the look on Andy's face would portend. If Miranda had expected a quick end to her torture she had another thing coming. Andy used every trick she knew, from her years worshiping at the altar of the goddess Miranda Priestly, to her advantage.

Every time Miranda would approach a peak Andy would go in a different direction keeping the woman completely off balanced. This was pure sin and both women loved every moment of it. Andy finally took mercy on her spouse using her tongue then her fingers then her tongue again to bring Miranda to back to back to back screaming orgasms. The two women exited the tub, dried each other off, then got under cool sheets.

They came together in the center of the bed holding one another. This time was one of the things that made their marriage so strong. They both loved this post-coital closeness as much as the lovemaking that preceded it. These moments after reaffirming their physical connection were just as important as now they worked on their mental and emotional connections. They talked for an hour about the wedding, Cass and Caroline's new girlfriends, the possibility of Emma becoming their daughter-in-law, Madeline's starting ballet, and Allie's upcoming soccer tryouts. They also talked about Andy's new revelations that would come out in her new book and what that meant for the politics in Albany. They finally began to drift off to sleep after each had said everything they wanted to on each subject.

"I love you," Andy said as she closed her eyes.

"And I you," Miranda whispered taking a few minutes to watch the woman that owned her heart in peaceful slumber. She finally closed her eyes following the younger woman into the land of dreams.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18.

Andy woke early the next morning. She spent a few minutes enjoying the feel of Miranda's nude body against hers. She knew that after years of marriage that this shouldn't still be this enjoyable but much like most aspects of her life with this woman everything still felt fresh and new. She could not explain it but their connection was ever evolving ever changing and she loved every moment.

There was how things were between them while she worked for Miranda, then their period of friendship, courting, engagement then marriage. Their marriage was by no means a monolith either. There was the newlywed phase, then there was their pre-Madi time, Miranda's pregnancy, having a newborn, then there was pre-accident and post-accident.

Andy still felt guilty for how much she'd worried Miranda and their girls but she did not regret the accident.

The accident brought her mother back into her life, brought Anna into their family and reunited her with long-lost family as well. Her life was so much richer now than it had ever been. A reminder of what she'd gained from meeting Miranda ambled into the room. Madeline Elise Priestly was practically jumping out of her skin. Andy had promised her that she could come along to the airport to pick up Anna's mother. Andy tried to calm the girl down but it was too late as the girl flung herself into Andy's now open arms.

The force of the collision pushed them onto a still sleeping Miranda. Miranda's head came up from under the covers and her wife and her daughter began to stare at each other. They then exchanged glares. In this Madi was definitely Miranda Priestly's daughter. After a full minute of the two staring daggers at each other Miranda gave up and began tickling their youngest. The two quickly dissolved into giggles as Andy closed her eyes committing this moment to memory.

Andy took Madi downstairs with her allowing Miranda to continue a rare morning of sleeping in. She met Anna and her mother who were already dressed and ready to go to the hospital. The two had one of their last shifts before the wedding and honeymoon today which was why Andy had volunteered to fetch Anna's mother from the airport.

"How was your night?" Andy asked both women with a smirk.

While Anna looked confused at the question, her mother smirked back and said, "good, how was yours?"

"Good," Andy responded.

Anna spoke next, "what are you two talking about."

Before either could answer Madi walked over to Anna pulling her sleeve to get her attention. Anna bent to hear what Madi wanted to say.

"Nanna, I think they are talking about S.E.X," Madi said in a loud whisper.

Andy and Ellen both laugh tickled by the girl's familiar antics.

Anna, curious, asked, "and what exactly is S.E.X.?"

"I don't know but whenever they talk about it I have to leave the room," the girl responded before grabbing and banana and heading back upstairs.

Anna had to laugh at that but then she turned to her fiance and Andy with a quirked eyebrow.

Andy swallowed her laugh then looked at her mother wanting to know who should take the lead here.

In the end, they decided to share the duty. Ellen explained what she knew about the connection that the women of her family shared with their chosen partner. She also reminded Anna of the things that they had previously discussed. Then Andy took over, explaining her connection to Miranda and their girls and more recently to Allie and to Anna herself. Anna was at first surprised by this statement but soon she realized that she too had felt a special connection with Andy and her family from the very beginning. Andy then surprised her mother by explaining the twins' newfound connection to the women in their lives. Finally, Andy came to the crux of the matter by telling Anna the story of coming home one day during college and experiencing her mother's orgasm through their link.

Anna did not get the connection for a long moment then she blushed hard realizing the reason for the story.

"So does everyone in the house knows that I had S.E.X. last night," Anna said.

"Oh so that was you last night," Caroline said as she and Cassidy strolled into the kitchen. If anything Anna's blush grew even deeper.

"I am fairly sure that Mads and Allie slept through it if that helps," Cassidy added.

"So you all felt me, um," Anna sputtered.

"No, we've learned to block things out given the amount of S.E.X. our mothers have," Caroline said.

Anna felt better until she saw the look on Andy's face.

"I wasn't expecting it to happen," Andy said sheepishly.

So if you and Miranda had such a good night, then why didn't I feel anything," Anna asked still feeling very off balanced by the whole conversation.

Andy explained as best as she could how they had all learned to block the link during intimate moments.

Ellen then explained how to make the connection stronger between the two of them.

Ellen pulled Anna into a hug before explaining that this meant that she was now a full member of this group of extraordinary women.

Andy was the first to demonstrate what that meant, "Miranda and I had sex in the bathtub then again in bed last night."

Ellen spoke next, "Anna and I had sex in bed after I took a long shower,"

Cassidy then spoke, "I am in love with mom's assistant Emma and I masturbated last night imagining losing my virginity to her."

Caroline added, "I think I met the woman that I will marry one day yesterday and I masturbated while sexting with her last night."

An unexpected voice joined the conversation as Miranda walked into the kitchen, "I just orgasmed in the shower thinking about what my lovely wife and I did in my office last week."

Anna looked at all the woman in the kitchen surprised to see that not a single one was embarrassed by their own revelations or bothered by the revelations of the others.

"I orgasmed twice last night thanks to the woman that I can't wait to marry and I love all of the women in this room and in this house," Anna said meaning every word. She soon found herself embraced by women who were now her family.

AN: Short update hope you enjoy. I will be updating again soon. As always your comments are fuel to keep me writing.

Chapter Management

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Chapter 19: The Visit

Chapter Text

AN: *Warning this chapter discusses an attempted suicide.*

Chapter 19: The Visit

Allie woke early that morning, It would be better to say that she had barely slept at all the previous night. Today was the day she was going to see her mother for the first time in months. Allie had not been shocked to find out her father was a monster or that her mother was a victim. She had been surprised to find out how much her mother had been hiding her suffering. Allie had thought everything would be ok when Stephanie, Andy, and Miranda came to their rescue. Instead, her mother had slowly fallen apart in the weeks and months after they were set free. Allie's therapist has told her that this was quite common for victims of long-term abuse. Her mother had kept everything together when she needed to protect Allie, but once the threat had been removed she could no longer keep things together.

After her mother's breakdown, Allie had found herself living with Andy, Miranda and their girls. Living here was completely different from the house she grew up in. It wasn't the fact that Miranda and Andy were wealthy but rather the amount of love that they had for each other and their girls. Someone was always hugging or telling someone else how much they loved and appreciated the other. She had felt fully accepted by everyone including their girls. Allie had always wanted sisters particularly a younger sister that she could take care of. On her first night, she'd spent what felt like hours crying in her room until Madi walked in, crawled into her bed and pulled Allie's arms around her. She had held the girl until she fell asleep and was surprised the next morning to find that she had fallen asleep shortly after. Now anytime she had a rough day or could not sleep Madi would show up and slide into the bed with her.

Allie knew that things were getting better for her and she did not know how she was going to tell that to her mother. She was afraid that her mother would think that she did not need her and that could not be further from the truth.

As soon as Allie began feeling down her door opened and the little girl that she already thought of as a sister came in.

"Hey Allie, why are you still in bed."

"Oh is your mom up."

"Yeah everyone is in the kitchen."

"I left when they started talking about S.E.X."

Allie had to laugh at that. The women of this house had no problem talking about S.E.X.

Both Andy and Miranda had sat her down and made sure she understood the basics of sex and about the different types of sexuality. They had patiently answered every question Allie could think to ask on either topic. Later Cassidy had come to talk to her about the fact that she was also gay. She had also overheard enough of Caroline and Cass talking to figure out that she too now had a new girlfriend. Allie wasn't quite sure which way she leaned but knew she had plenty of time to figure it out. Miranda and Andy had also talked to her about masturbation which really embarrassed her until they both told her that they both did it regularly. Cassidy and Caroline had also admitted to doing it as well and had even bought her a vibrator of her own but so far she'd been too chicken to use it.

Madi gave her a hug then got up so she could get ready. The girl had been talking about meeting nanna Anna's mom all day yesterday. Before she could get out of bed Miranda knocked on her door and peeked her head in.

"I thought that we could leave in an hour if you think that's enough time to get dressed and have breakfast."

"No that sounds good."

"Miranda."

"Yes dear."

"Thanks for coming with me today."

Miranda stepped further into the room and sat on the edge of Allie's bed. She took Allie's hand before saying, "Allie, I know that you believe that our family has done so much for you."

Allie began to speak but Miranda held up her hand to stop her.

"But, what you don't realize is how much you have brought to this family," she concluded.

Allie was thoughtful for a moment letting Miranda's words sink in. She took a deep breath and said something she'd wanted to say for a while but she had been too afraid.

"I love you."

The smile that broke out on Miranda's face was all the proof that she needed to know she'd made the right choice.

"I love you too Allie, we all do"

"You have made our family better by just being who you are."

She couldn't help but throw her arms around the woman and was gratified to feel herself in her embrace. Before she could let go she felt another pair of arms join the little hug. She looked up to see Andy's smiling face over Miranda's shoulder. Then suddenly the twins were there joining the family hug.

"Her family," she thought just as Madi threw herself at the pile laughing as she went.

Miranda drove Allie the two hours to Serenity the inpatient treatment facility that Elise Spencer was now a resident. Elise had legally changed her name back to Spencer and with Miranda's help had been able to have her marriage legally annulled. Allie was a different story altogether. The girl had not been ready to change her name at the time, then Elise had her breakdown.

The breakdown had been far worse than Allie knew. The girl had found her mother shaking and unresponsive and had called Andy and Miranda for help. Thankfully the girl doesn't know about Elise's nearly successful attempted suicide the very next day. Only Stephanie Reyes' quick intervention saved the woman's life. Elise had agreed to a voluntary commitment shortly after being released from the hospital. She had been unwilling to see Allie or anyone except for Stephanie until today. Miranda had no idea what her mental state was and was therefore not looking forward to this visit. She and Andrea had agreed that it made more sense for Miranda to take on this duty given her more distance relationship with Elise. Allie was a different story. She had quickly grown to love the girl who reminded her so much of both Andrea and Madeline. But it is more than that, she had bonded with the girl from the first moment and already thought of her as another one of their girls.

They were met at the door by Stephanie who greeted them warmly then walked them down to see Elise's phycologist. Dr. Rhonda Lane was a short pretty African American woman who gave them and unexpectedly warm greeting. They sat in her office while she gave a greatly sanitized version of Elise's condition. Miranda's heart broke when Allie turned to her with hopeful eyes. Unfortunately, Miranda had been able to read between the lines and the news was not good. The doctor's words made it clear, to Miranda at least, that Elise needed a considerable amount of treatment before she would be able to take care of herself much less her daughter. She pulled the girl into a hug and just held her for a long moment. They were led out of the doctor's office to a room that was designed for family visits. Miranda waited in the hallway while Stephanie escorted Allie into the room to see her mother.

"I am aware you don't deal with precise timelines, however, I would like to know how long it will take before she is ready to be released?" Miranda asked Dr. Lane.

The doctor was thoughtful for a moment before she spoke, "Elise has authorized me to answer any questions that you may have."

"She has a long road ahead of her and she knows it."

"Luckily she has a good support structure and she sees a future for herself," Dr. Lane concluded.

"I understand that is important for her recovery," Miranda said.

"You've been doing your homework, Mrs. Priestley."

"Please call me Miranda."

"Ok, Miranda you can call me Rhonda."

"You are correct, seeing her own future will help her to take the treatment we do here seriously and not go along just so she can be released and,"

"End her own life," Miranda said completing Rhonda's thought for her.

Rhonda just nodded her head.

"She's not in a hurry to be released and she is taking the treatment seriously," the psychologist added.

Miranda asked a few more questions which Rhonda did her best to answer. They fell silent for a long moment after which the Doctor excused herself leaving Miranda with her own thoughts. Several minutes later Allie came out of the office moving quickly past her. She turned to follow but was stopped by Stephanie.

"I'll go after her, Elise would like to talk to you."

Miranda was conflicted but eventually decided that Stephanie could handle things for a moment. She had not planned on seeing Elise and was curious what the woman wanted to talk about. Miranda hated to see this smaller frailer version of Ellen and Andrea sitting in a chair with tears streaming down both cheeks.

Miranda sat for a moment allowing Elise to compose herself. After a minute or so she finally spoke in a raspy voice, "I told Allie that I can't take care of her right now."

Now Miranda thought she understood. She herself had not had the best relationship with her mother and new the feeling of abandonment that Allie was going through.

"I know that this isn't fair of me to ask, but I need you and Andy to watch after her for me."

"Permanently."

Miranda softened her features knowing how difficult this had to be. She could not imagine having to make such a choice herself.

"What's not fair is all of this, what happened to you is not fair."

"But you have one good thing to hold onto, all of this brought that beautiful girl into this world."

"So you hold on to that."

"You hold on to the light in that girl's eyes and you do what it takes to get back to her one day," Miranda concluded.

"Thank you," Elise said in a quiet voice.

"No, thank you for bringing Allie into our lives," Miranda responded.

The two shared a hug before they sat back down. Elise picked up a stack of papers handing them over before saying, "I had Stephanie find me a lawyer."

"Those papers relinquish my parental rights and make you and Andy her legal guardians."

Miranda quickly reviewed the document. She looked Elise in the eyes and saw nothing but determination there. She was determined to do what was best for her daughter. Miranda just hoped that her determination included wanting to live, wanting to see her daughter blossom into the woman that Miranda could already see within her. Miranda signed the papers knowing that she did not need to talk to Andrea about it first.

"I know that I don't have the right to ask for more, but I want you to consider officially adopting Allie and giving her your name."

"Yes," was Miranda's immediate and emphatic reply.

Elise sagged a little as the weight of the moment hit her hard. Miranda sat with her for several minutes until an aide came in and informed them that their visiting time was at an end. They exchanged one last hug before Miranda walked into the hallway. Stephanie was standing there and Allie was just down the hall with her head laying on top of raised knees.

"Did she tell Allie that she wasn't going to be able to take care of her for a while?" Miranda asked.

Stephanie just nodded her head.

"She tried to explain why but Allie got really upset and I don't think she really heard anything Elise said after that."

"Is she going to?" Miranda began to ask.

"Kill herself, I don't think so," Stephanie responded.

"It may feel like she's putting her affairs in order, but I think she just wants to do what's best for Allie," she said.

"And I don't think she believes that Allie would be better off without her," she concluded.

Miranda truly hoped the woman was correct. They said their goodbyes and she walked down to see Allie. She tried to talk to her but she was silent and clearly did not want to talk.

They got back into the car and began the drive back to home. It actually took them far less time to get home during the middle of the day. Miranda offered to make Allie lunch but the girl just ran up the stairs. Miranda made them both sandwiches and took the plates up to Allies room. She looked into the room to find Allie taking her clothes out of her closet and putting them in a suitcase.

"What are you doing?" Miranda asked too stunned say anything else.

"What does it look like, I'm packing my things."

"My mom told me that she can't take care of me anymore so why would you want to be stuck with some crazy lady's kid."

Allie sat on the bed throwing her head back and resting it against the wall. Miranda put down the two plates, walked into Allie's closet and came back with an armful of clothes. She put the clothes into the suitcase then returned to the closet for more. Allie watched on in horror as Miranda filled her suitcase then zipped it close.

"You want me gone," she said in a small voice.

"No, but I am surprised that you think so little of me."

"Do you think that I would put Madeline out onto the street," Miranda said heatedly.

"No but she's your daughter," she said raising her voice in the process.

"And so are you," Miranda said looking the girl in the eyes.

That stopped whatever Allie was going to say next. The girl was too stunned to continue the fight nor did she want too. Instead, she dissolved into tears. Miranda sat on the bed and pulled the girl into her arms.

"I have already signed paperwork making Andrea and I your legal guardian and when you are ready we can talk more about something more official."

"But I never want you to think that Andrea and I love you any less than our other girls."

Allie tried one last argument, "But I'm not actually related to you."

"Have you ever noticed Andrea treating Madeline better than Cassidy or Caroline?" Miranda asked.

"No, but they're her daughters too."

"By your definition, we can only love those that we are related to by blood but may I remind you that not a single drop of Andrea's blood runs through their veins and yet she loves them just as much as she loves Madi and just as much as we love you."

"I'm so sorry Miranda," the girl blurted out then dissolved into tears once again.

Miranda pulled the girl back into her arms. They both lay down and she held Allie until the girl fell asleep. She laid there for long moments making plans to ensure the girls future until she finally joined her middle daughter in sleep.

AN: This is the start of an arc of this story that I really enjoyed writing and revisit often. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


	19. Chapter 19

AN: *Warning this chapter discusses an attempted suicide.*

Chapter 19: The Visit

Allie woke early that morning, It would be better to say that she had barely slept at all the previous night. Today was the day she was going to see her mother for the first time in months. Allie had not been shocked to find out her father was a monster or that her mother was a victim. She had been surprised to find out how much her mother had been hiding her suffering. Allie had thought everything would be ok when Stephanie, Andy, and Miranda came to their rescue. Instead, her mother had slowly fallen apart in the weeks and months after they were set free. Allie's therapist has told her that this was quite common for victims of long-term abuse. Her mother had kept everything together when she needed to protect Allie, but once the threat had been removed she could no longer keep things together.

After her mother's breakdown, Allie had found herself living with Andy, Miranda and their girls. Living here was completely different from the house she grew up in. It wasn't the fact that Miranda and Andy were wealthy but rather the amount of love that they had for each other and their girls. Someone was always hugging or telling someone else how much they loved and appreciated the other. She had felt fully accepted by everyone including their girls. Allie had always wanted sisters particularly a younger sister that she could take care of. On her first night, she'd spent what felt like hours crying in her room until Madi walked in, crawled into her bed and pulled Allie's arms around her. She had held the girl until she fell asleep and was surprised the next morning to find that she had fallen asleep shortly after. Now anytime she had a rough day or could not sleep Madi would show up and slide into the bed with her.

Allie knew that things were getting better for her and she did not know how she was going to tell that to her mother. She was afraid that her mother would think that she did not need her and that could not be further from the truth.

As soon as Allie began feeling down her door opened and the little girl that she already thought of as a sister came in.

"Hey Allie, why are you still in bed."

"Oh is your mom up."

"Yeah everyone is in the kitchen."

"I left when they started talking about S.E.X."

Allie had to laugh at that. The women of this house had no problem talking about S.E.X.

Both Andy and Miranda had sat her down and made sure she understood the basics of sex and about the different types of sexuality. They had patiently answered every question Allie could think to ask on either topic. Later Cassidy had come to talk to her about the fact that she was also gay. She had also overheard enough of Caroline and Cass talking to figure out that she too now had a new girlfriend. Allie wasn't quite sure which way she leaned but knew she had plenty of time to figure it out. Miranda and Andy had also talked to her about masturbation which really embarrassed her until they both told her that they both did it regularly. Cassidy and Caroline had also admitted to doing it as well and had even bought her a vibrator of her own but so far she'd been too chicken to use it.

Madi gave her a hug then got up so she could get ready. The girl had been talking about meeting nanna Anna's mom all day yesterday. Before she could get out of bed Miranda knocked on her door and peeked her head in.

"I thought that we could leave in an hour if you think that's enough time to get dressed and have breakfast."

"No that sounds good."

"Miranda."

"Yes dear."

"Thanks for coming with me today."

Miranda stepped further into the room and sat on the edge of Allie's bed. She took Allie's hand before saying, "Allie, I know that you believe that our family has done so much for you."

Allie began to speak but Miranda held up her hand to stop her.

"But, what you don't realize is how much you have brought to this family," she concluded.

Allie was thoughtful for a moment letting Miranda's words sink in. She took a deep breath and said something she'd wanted to say for a while but she had been too afraid.

"I love you."

The smile that broke out on Miranda's face was all the proof that she needed to know she'd made the right choice.

"I love you too Allie, we all do"

"You have made our family better by just being who you are."

She couldn't help but throw her arms around the woman and was gratified to feel herself in her embrace. Before she could let go she felt another pair of arms join the little hug. She looked up to see Andy's smiling face over Miranda's shoulder. Then suddenly the twins were there joining the family hug.

"Her family," she thought just as Madi threw herself at the pile laughing as she went.

Miranda drove Allie the two hours to Serenity the inpatient treatment facility that Elise Spencer was now a resident. Elise had legally changed her name back to Spencer and with Miranda's help had been able to have her marriage legally annulled. Allie was a different story altogether. The girl had not been ready to change her name at the time, then Elise had her breakdown.

The breakdown had been far worse than Allie knew. The girl had found her mother shaking and unresponsive and had called Andy and Miranda for help. Thankfully the girl doesn't know about Elise's nearly successful attempted suicide the very next day. Only Stephanie Reyes' quick intervention saved the woman's life. Elise had agreed to a voluntary commitment shortly after being released from the hospital. She had been unwilling to see Allie or anyone except for Stephanie until today. Miranda had no idea what her mental state was and was therefore not looking forward to this visit. She and Andrea had agreed that it made more sense for Miranda to take on this duty given her more distance relationship with Elise. Allie was a different story. She had quickly grown to love the girl who reminded her so much of both Andrea and Madeline. But it is more than that, she had bonded with the girl from the first moment and already thought of her as another one of their girls.

They were met at the door by Stephanie who greeted them warmly then walked them down to see Elise's phycologist. Dr. Rhonda Lane was a short pretty African American woman who gave them and unexpectedly warm greeting. They sat in her office while she gave a greatly sanitized version of Elise's condition. Miranda's heart broke when Allie turned to her with hopeful eyes. Unfortunately, Miranda had been able to read between the lines and the news was not good. The doctor's words made it clear, to Miranda at least, that Elise needed a considerable amount of treatment before she would be able to take care of herself much less her daughter. She pulled the girl into a hug and just held her for a long moment. They were led out of the doctor's office to a room that was designed for family visits. Miranda waited in the hallway while Stephanie escorted Allie into the room to see her mother.

"I am aware you don't deal with precise timelines, however, I would like to know how long it will take before she is ready to be released?" Miranda asked Dr. Lane.

The doctor was thoughtful for a moment before she spoke, "Elise has authorized me to answer any questions that you may have."

"She has a long road ahead of her and she knows it."

"Luckily she has a good support structure and she sees a future for herself," Dr. Lane concluded.

"I understand that is important for her recovery," Miranda said.

"You've been doing your homework, Mrs. Priestley."

"Please call me Miranda."

"Ok, Miranda you can call me Rhonda."

"You are correct, seeing her own future will help her to take the treatment we do here seriously and not go along just so she can be released and,"

"End her own life," Miranda said completing Rhonda's thought for her.

Rhonda just nodded her head.

"She's not in a hurry to be released and she is taking the treatment seriously," the psychologist added.

Miranda asked a few more questions which Rhonda did her best to answer. They fell silent for a long moment after which the Doctor excused herself leaving Miranda with her own thoughts. Several minutes later Allie came out of the office moving quickly past her. She turned to follow but was stopped by Stephanie.

"I'll go after her, Elise would like to talk to you."

Miranda was conflicted but eventually decided that Stephanie could handle things for a moment. She had not planned on seeing Elise and was curious what the woman wanted to talk about. Miranda hated to see this smaller frailer version of Ellen and Andrea sitting in a chair with tears streaming down both cheeks.

Miranda sat for a moment allowing Elise to compose herself. After a minute or so she finally spoke in a raspy voice, "I told Allie that I can't take care of her right now."

Now Miranda thought she understood. She herself had not had the best relationship with her mother and new the feeling of abandonment that Allie was going through.

"I know that this isn't fair of me to ask, but I need you and Andy to watch after her for me."

"Permanently."

Miranda softened her features knowing how difficult this had to be. She could not imagine having to make such a choice herself.

"What's not fair is all of this, what happened to you is not fair."

"But you have one good thing to hold onto, all of this brought that beautiful girl into this world."

"So you hold on to that."

"You hold on to the light in that girl's eyes and you do what it takes to get back to her one day," Miranda concluded.

"Thank you," Elise said in a quiet voice.

"No, thank you for bringing Allie into our lives," Miranda responded.

The two shared a hug before they sat back down. Elise picked up a stack of papers handing them over before saying, "I had Stephanie find me a lawyer."

"Those papers relinquish my parental rights and make you and Andy her legal guardians."

Miranda quickly reviewed the document. She looked Elise in the eyes and saw nothing but determination there. She was determined to do what was best for her daughter. Miranda just hoped that her determination included wanting to live, wanting to see her daughter blossom into the woman that Miranda could already see within her. Miranda signed the papers knowing that she did not need to talk to Andrea about it first.

"I know that I don't have the right to ask for more, but I want you to consider officially adopting Allie and giving her your name."

"Yes," was Miranda's immediate and emphatic reply.

Elise sagged a little as the weight of the moment hit her hard. Miranda sat with her for several minutes until an aide came in and informed them that their visiting time was at an end. They exchanged one last hug before Miranda walked into the hallway. Stephanie was standing there and Allie was just down the hall with her head laying on top of raised knees.

"Did she tell Allie that she wasn't going to be able to take care of her for a while?" Miranda asked.

Stephanie just nodded her head.

"She tried to explain why but Allie got really upset and I don't think she really heard anything Elise said after that."

"Is she going to?" Miranda began to ask.

"Kill herself, I don't think so," Stephanie responded.

"It may feel like she's putting her affairs in order, but I think she just wants to do what's best for Allie," she said.

"And I don't think she believes that Allie would be better off without her," she concluded.

Miranda truly hoped the woman was correct. They said their goodbyes and she walked down to see Allie. She tried to talk to her but she was silent and clearly did not want to talk.

They got back into the car and began the drive back to home. It actually took them far less time to get home during the middle of the day. Miranda offered to make Allie lunch but the girl just ran up the stairs. Miranda made them both sandwiches and took the plates up to Allies room. She looked into the room to find Allie taking her clothes out of her closet and putting them in a suitcase.

"What are you doing?" Miranda asked too stunned say anything else.

"What does it look like, I'm packing my things."

"My mom told me that she can't take care of me anymore so why would you want to be stuck with some crazy lady's kid."

Allie sat on the bed throwing her head back and resting it against the wall. Miranda put down the two plates, walked into Allie's closet and came back with an armful of clothes. She put the clothes into the suitcase then returned to the closet for more. Allie watched on in horror as Miranda filled her suitcase then zipped it close.

"You want me gone," she said in a small voice.

"No, but I am surprised that you think so little of me."

"Do you think that I would put Madeline out onto the street," Miranda said heatedly.

"No but she's your daughter," she said raising her voice in the process.

"And so are you," Miranda said looking the girl in the eyes.

That stopped whatever Allie was going to say next. The girl was too stunned to continue the fight nor did she want too. Instead, she dissolved into tears. Miranda sat on the bed and pulled the girl into her arms.

"I have already signed paperwork making Andrea and I your legal guardian and when you are ready we can talk more about something more official."

"But I never want you to think that Andrea and I love you any less than our other girls."

Allie tried one last argument, "But I'm not actually related to you."

"Have you ever noticed Andrea treating Madeline better than Cassidy or Caroline?" Miranda asked.

"No, but they're her daughters too."

"By your definition, we can only love those that we are related to by blood but may I remind you that not a single drop of Andrea's blood runs through their veins and yet she loves them just as much as she loves Madi and just as much as we love you."

"I'm so sorry Miranda," the girl blurted out then dissolved into tears once again.

Miranda pulled the girl back into her arms. They both lay down and she held Allie until the girl fell asleep. She laid there for long moments making plans to ensure the girls future until she finally joined her middle daughter in sleep.

AN: This is the start of an arc of this story that I really enjoyed writing and revisit often. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Allie's Dream

Allie Priestly walked into her apartment slightly out of breath. She'd literally run from the subway station not wanting to be late for tonight's dinner. She quickly removed her gun and badge placing them into her floor safe. She pulled the expensive rug back over the safe before running for her shower. Twenty minutes later she was in a pair of her favorite jeans and a Lynn Tang blouse. Lynn just so happened to be one of her mom's favorite new designers. Despite having left Runway as editor-in-chief years before, she still kept her ear to the ground when it came to the world of fashion. Her mom had actually discovered an unexpected talent for getting people to open up to her during an interview. She now hosted the number one show on URVID, the biggest of the YouTube successors. Her interviews were interesting, funny and emotionally compelling all at once. Each interview routinely got twenty million unique hits in just the first week of release. Now the name Miranda Priestly was famous to a whole new generation.

Her ma was working on book 17 or maybe it was 18. After she and Stephanie cornered the market in the true crime genre they'd decided to branch out. The two still occasionally wrote together but her ma was now considered by many to be the Great American Novelist. The critics fawned over her work and her last three books were still on the top of the best sellers list. Her last book reading sold out in less than two minutes.

Stephanie, on the other hand, was now writing a series of books about a police detective solving murders themed around the seven deadly sins. The first book Original Sin introduced Alex Priest, a take-charge NYC detective that everyone knew was patterned after her. Unfortunately, most of the steamier sex scenes in the novels featured Alex. She had once complained to Stephanie that the books might hurt her career. Stephanie just laughed before she reminding her that the Nikki Heat novels had done nothing to hurt Kate Beckett's career. Kate, yes they were on a first name basis, was now her ultimate boss the New York City Commissioner of Police. She had been recently re-appointed to the position after her husband Richard Castle's surprise run and win in the New York City Mayor's race. Rick, who she also knew well, had taken full advantage of a new law allowing people to vote via their vids.

As she left her building she checked for messages in her vid feed. She had to resist the desire to close her eyes as the first vid message came up. Cass and Emma had taken to spending all of their time at home in the nude. They took joy in answering their vids or leaving her messages nude and in full-body view.

"Hey little sis," both women said.

"You are invited to dinner this weekend, Car and Rose are coming to and as always it's clothing optional."

She groaned not looking forward to trying to find a date for this dinner. The last few had not gone well. There was Bill who ended up sporting wood the entire time and had been too embarrassed to ever call her again. The next time she'd gone with Katlin who assumed they were having an orgy and tried to make out with her in front of all the others.

The next message was from Madeline, not Madi anymore, who was thankfully fully clothed.

"Hey big sis, coming home this weekend going to surprise our mom's then having naked dinner with our weirdo sisters."

"Hope to see you there, later."

Allie suddenly felt very excited knowing all of her sisters would be in town this weekend. She missed Mad's to death. She was in her third year at Stanford and usually only made it back a handful of times a year. Luckily the brilliant girl would graduate this fall and was already planning her move back to the city.

She only got the highlights from the vid message from Caroline and Rose as they were also nude. She knew it wasn't because they were also sometime nudists but because they knew how uncomfortable she was with Cass and Emma's antics. Their message was the same, "dinner at Cass and Emma's everyone will be there."

She closed her vid feed as her Auto-Uber pulled to the curb. She was still a little wary of the driverless service so she sat in the front seat just in case she needed to redirect a wayward move.

Allie walked into the restaurant and quickly spotted her original mother and Stephanie. Her mother had been through a lot in her life. She'd been kidnapped by her father as a teenager, had the child of her kidnapper slash rapist slash all around abuser, then spent six years in a mental institute. There had also been the half dozen suicide attempts two of which had come very close to succeeding. Thankfully things were better for her now. Her mom had been out for years, had found a job and she and Stephanie had finally gotten married. She was happy for both of them.

The two talked about her job and Stephanie's new novel "Sinful Ways." She enjoyed giving Stephanie work stories knowing that a version of those events would likely find their way into one of her novels.

"How are Andy and Miranda," her mom asked. Allie rolled her eyes mentally hating to have this conversation once again. She loved all three of her mothers, four if you counted Stephanie, but she hated her mom's frosty feelings toward Miranda and Andy. She had made the mistake soon after her mother's release of referring to Miranda as her mom. That had set her mother off on a diatribe about who her real mother was.

Allie knew that her mother's guilt from not being able to finish raising her only child was behind the outburst. From then on, she referred to them as Andy and Miranda in front of her mother. It was a pity because Andy really missed her Aunt Elise and wanted to be close to her again. She suspected her mom felt the same way but she wasn't yet able to let go of her feelings of guilt and loss.

The dinner petered out after her mother's question so she let Stephenie pay the bill, got up and kissed both women on the cheek. She promised that they would get together again soon before saying goodbye. She left the restaurant feeling a little melancholy as she generally did after spending time with her mother. She knew it wasn't fair but as her therapist often reminder, "your feelings have nothing to do with fairness."

She stepped out onto the street just in time to see a stunning redhead appearing to chase a fleeing man. She quickly spotted the woman's purse in the man's hands. She quietly chastised herself for leaving her gun at home. She improvised by sticking out her foot and jumping onto the man's back as he hit the sidewalk. She had the man in cuffs before he could even think about resisting. She heard footsteps and looked up to see a lovely pair greyish blue eyes looking down at her.

Allie was expecting a word of thanks but instead, the woman glared at her and the man who she had in cuffs. Before the woman could speak two uniform cops that she was acquainted with walked up.

"We got this detective," the older of the two said.

"Thanks, Murph," she replied.

The officer handed her back her cuffs before saying, "Stans and I got the whole thing on the vid feed so we won't need anything from you."

She thanked the two men then turned to the woman. She was surprised to see herself being given a very familiar once over. The woman's eyes lingered on her blouse and again on her shoes. She almost laughed at the woman's pursed lips but stopped herself suddenly feeling offended. Her mom had purchased everything she was wearing except for the shoes. The shoes were practical because you never knew when you'd need to chase down and jump on a perp's back.

"You don't approve," Allie said as she handed over the woman's purse.

"I am not the biggest fan of Lynn Tang and those shoes," she said while making a rather disgusted face.

Allie, now incensed, quickly responded, "First of all the shoes are for work because I never know when I will need to save some pretty damsel's ass."

"Second, the person who picked out this blouse knows more about fashion than you ever will," she finished hotly.

"Well, I'm not sure who this fashion person that picks out your clothing is officer, but I learned everything I needed to know about fashion from the best," the woman responded.

"Just because you've read Vogue since you were eight doesn't make you the expert that you think you are."

"And its detective," Allie finished.

The now indignant woman replied, "I do not read Vogue magazine under any circumstances."

"Damn it, she's pretty when she's angry," Allie thought.

"I will have you know that I am editor-in-chief at the premier fashion magazine in the world," she said with a sneer on her pretty face.

Suddenly a light bulb lit in Allie's mind, "Oh, you're Emily."

That stopped the woman mid-rant as she took a closer look at Allie before saying, "Do I know you?"

Allie offered her hand, "I'm Allie Priestly."

Emily took another long look at the woman suddenly seeing quite a bit of Andy in her and a brief memory of a teenage girl she'd met years ago flashed into her head.

"Miranda picked out that blouse?" she asked clearly surprised.

"Mom's a fan," Allie said in answer to her question.

The two women stood on the sidewalk for a long moment before Emily's vid began to ring. Before she could answer Allie spoke fast, "would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

"Yes," came Emily's immediate reply.

Allie blushed realizing that she'd just invited Emily to the clothing optional dinner with her sisters.

"What, are you already regretting asking me out?" Emily prodded.

"No it's not that at all," Allie said then explained the details of the dinner. Far from being offended Emily laughed, before saying, "That sounds like a most interesting first date."

Emily handed over a card with no name on it informing Allie that is was her private vid address. Allie memorized the address before slipping the card into a pocket. She shook hands with the other woman holding on a bit longer than was strictly necessary. She resisted the desire to kiss Emily's hand right there on the street. "Fuck it," she thought before pulling Emily's delicate hand to her lips. She got a very pleased smile from the older woman. Allie let Emily know that she'd send her details on the tomorrow night's event before the two women reluctantly went their separate ways.

Later that night Allie lay in bed unable to sleep as images of a certain red-headed beauty kept swimming into her mind. She'd spent the last hour tossing and turning and resisting doing the only thing she knew would help. She rolled over grabbed her vid and sent a quick message to Emily with the details for their date. She ditched her shirt feeling uncomfortably hot then began to do the same with her panties when she realized that she was wearing the pair that Madeline had purchased for her in Paris. Her mind must have been in the gutter when she'd put the SmartWare on. She slid her hand over a hidden panel activating the device. She gasped as the front panel of her underwear began to vibrate gently against her clit. A quick adjustment increased the intensity of the vibration several levels. She closed her eyes as she wondered if Emily would go sans clothing at tomorrow night's dinner. That, of course, led her to speculate what the older woman looked like in the nude. She was getting quite close when her vid rang. She cursed realizing she had not turned the do not disturb on. She reached over intending to decline the feed but hit accept by mistake.

"Shit," she thought as Emily's pretty face appeared.

Emily lay in her large and empty bed. She had been trying to sleep for over an hour now. She'd discovered years ago, an addiction to the new generation of sleeping pills so she was trying to just gut it out. Images of the pretty brunette detective kept coming into her head unbidden. She was tempted to call Serena over for some relief. Serena had proven to be another type of addiction. The two would screw each other's brains out when they were both single but inevitably Serena would find a new man and leave Emily high and dry. After this last time, she'd made it clear to the stunning Brazilian that from now on they could only be friends. Despite her new relationship, Serena had seduced her that night reasoning that she wanted to know ahead of time that it would be their last time together. It had been a bittersweet experience and in some ways the most connected that she'd ever felt to her longtime friend and sometime lover. She dismissed the idea knowing it would signal to Serna that she owned her.

She'd been pleasantly surprised at seeing Allies late-night message come across her vid. Knowing Allie was awake she took a shot and connected to her vid.

Upon answering she immediately noticed Allie's deer in the headlight expression. She starred for a long second observing her appearance. The girl was beautiful but there was something else. She took in her appearance, her flushed skin, her fluttering eyes, wide pupils, and quick breaths. She smirked as she realized what she had just interrupted. Then she heard a faint buzzing and realized the act was still in progress.

"Were you thinking of me?" Emily asked in her most sultry voice.

"Yes."

"Do you want me, Allison?"

"Yes."

"Will you cum for me?"

"Yes, Yes," the woman breathed into her vid as she came.

"Sweet dreams, Sweetie," Emily said as she disconnected the vid.

She got out of bed and put on the latest and greatest in so-called SmartWare. She climbed back in bed and activated the switch. She chose her favorite mode and soon felt a wet raspy sensation over her clit. In her position, she was frequently given samples of all type of items. This new generation of SmartWare did an excellent job of approximating the feel of the female tongue. She closed her eyes initially picturing Serna's pretty face between her legs. The image soon changed as Allie's pretty hazel eyes replaced those of her former lover. "Fuck it," she thought as she sighed Allison's name enjoying the fantasy.

Allie woke with a big grin on her face having slept better than she had in some time. She rolled over and swallowed a scream as she realized she was no longer alone in bed.

"Jesus Mads you scared the shit out of me."

"I fly all the way across the county and all you can do is curse at me."

"And I told you that it's Madeline."

"Don't give me that shit Mads, I know you use your full name so all the cute girls think you're French," Allie challenged.

"May I remind you that I was born in France, have French citizenship and speak the language fluently."

"And I am sure that you've used those facts to get into quite a few pairs of coed panties," Allie said.

"Mais, bien sûr." (But, of course)

"And not just co-eds panties, my French teacher has a real dirty mouth when she cums," Madeline added.

"Speaking of panties," Madeline said raising the sheets.

Madeline laughed as Allie turned a lovely shade of red. She, her sisters, and even their moms all enjoyed giving Allie a hard time as she was the least comfortable with the trademark openness the other Priestly woman displayed on the subjects of sex and nudity. Madeline reached under the sheet and hit the hidden switch. Allison's gave a little yelp before she quickly turned the hidden vibrator off again.

"So I guess I know what you did last night," Madeline laughed.

"Ok, ok I used your gift last night," she replied.

"Mad's I think I met someone special yesterday."

The next day Emily stood in front of the building that apparently was owned by the Priestly girls. She had dressed to impress knowing she could not go out in public any other way. She also knew that she would not be wearing her couture for long having already decided to embrace this not completely uncommon practice. The nude dinner party had been all the rage for a while, though her understanding was that Emma and Cassidy saw it as more of a lifestyle. She was met in the building's foyer by Allison who was also well dressed. She gave her a once over and had no reservations in giving the beaming girl her nod of approval. They walked up to the third floor before ringing the bell.

Allie explained that the entire building was occupied by her family. She went on to say that her Aunt's Ellen and Anna, who lived on the top floor, would not be at the dinner tonight because they were in Seattle visiting Anna's mom and her Swedish wife.

"Rose and Caroline have the other apartment on this floor."

"Madeline and I both have apartments on the second floor though Mad's mostly just stays with me when she's in town," Allie said.

"So was she with you last night," Emily said with a smirk.

Allie could not keep from blushing thought for some reason she did not mind Emily's teasing.

"Not when we were on vid together no, she came in sometime later."

Emily smirked again really enjoying their time together though it had barely begun.

The door was opened by a robed Emma who apparently was not expecting Emily. She swallowed her surprise at seeing her former boss. Emma had left Runway shortly after Miranda's retirement but she had been working in the Art department under Emily her last few years there. Emma showed them to a little changing room just off the entry. Emily and Alison decided wordlessly to changed together. The two women starred openly at each other as they disrobed. Emily was pleased to see that Alison was even more beautiful than anything her imagination could render. She tried not to blush at Alison's appraising look at the red strip of hair between her legs. She returned the favor happy to see the neatly trimmed triangle between hers. Emily liked some pubic hair and was pleased to see that it was once again more in style. The two decided against robes given the whole purpose of the dinner.

They walked in to see Caroline and Rose sitting together next to an equally nude Cassidy who was soon joined by Emma. Emily, of course, knew that Cassidy and Caroline were now famous artists in their own right. Cass was a sculptor of some note with her last piece selling for half a million at Sotheby's. Caroline was currently starring as Elphaba in a revival of Wicked on Broadway. Caroline was also a painter whose latest works were beginning to show real promise. Emma had quit Runway so she could represent both twins full time. Allison had explained that Rose Priestly was a doctor working at the same hospital as Anna and Ellen.

She was introduced to everyone thought she remembered the twins and they remembered her as well. Emily was surprised that she could now easily tell the twins apart because she never could when they were young. They all knelt in front of the low table as Emma served everyone a drink. The conversation picked up quickly as everyone seemed both comfortable with the company and in their own skin. She could easily see the closeness not just among the sisters but with their wives as well. She wasn't sure what she had expected but to fit in so seamlessly was not how she thought tonight would go. After a few minutes, she wasn't at all displeased when Allison's hand slid into hers.

Emma slid her robe on in order to answer the door. Emily's eyes widen as she heard a very familiar voice.

"Hello, Emma dear."

"Yes, Yes I am aware of where the changing area is."

A few minutes later Emily found herself staring at a fully nude Miranda Priestly. She was not surprised to see how good the older woman looked. She'd, of course, had a crush on Miranda when she was her assistant. All the girls in that role felt it at some point. Only Andy bloody Sachs had the stones to do something about it. Not that she begrudged them their happiness. She was admiring the neatly trimmed thatch of hair between Miranda's legs when she heard another familiar voice.

"Her eyes are up here, Em," Andy said with a laugh.

Emily had the good sense to blush at her slight embarrassment, but it was not every day she got to see how stunningly beautiful her former boss was. Everyone stood to greet the family matriarchs.

They had a great dinner with Emma and Cass serving them food that nude women could feel comfortable eating. Each couple sat close together as each woman talked about their week. It was clear they still did this quite often despite all of them having busy lives. When it was Emily's turn she told the story of how she and Allison became re-acquainted. She surprised herself by telling the story of their late night vid conversation. She did not know why she felt so comfortable talking to this group of women. She did not even blush as she told a room full of women that included her date, a former boss, former subordinate, and former coworker that she too had masturbated last night after her vid with Alison.

At the end of the night, as they said their goodbyes Emily found herself in a surprisingly strong embrace from Andy.

"If you hurt my daughter, I will shove one of those pretty Manolo's all the way up your ass, Em," Andy whispered in her ear.

Emily just nodded her head to acknowledge that Andy would most certainly follow up on her promise if she deliberately hurt Allie. She wondered why so many people underestimated this woman.

"Is it too soon to start calling you mummy," Emily responded regaining some measure of her confidence. Both women shared a laugh as they realized just how far their relationship had come.

Next, she hugged Miranda as the woman said, "I wish I could say that I was surprised about you and Alison, but I seem to have a penchant for picking assistants who are destined to become family."

"Take care of each other," Miranda said.

"Come along, Andrea," she said as she exited Cass and Emma's apartment. Andy rolled her eyes before she dutifully followed the love of her life out of the door. The remaining women all laughed at the two women's antics.

"Whatever they're drinking I want some," Rose said.

When Caroline looked at her quizzically, Rose responded, "Sweetheart those two can't keep their hands off each other."

Cass nodded in agreement, "yeah I knew when the two of them disappeared for ten minutes what they were up to."

"Yeah, they're probably doing it again in the car right now," Allison added.

"Whenever Mom starts acting like the boss it does a number on Ma," Emma added.

For her part, Emily just promised herself that no matter what happened between her and Allison she was not going to start calling either woman mother.

Emily eagerly accepted Allison's offer for a nightcap in her apartment. When they got to the door they pushed it open and were greeted by the sounds of a woman saying, "oui, mange ma chatte," (yes, eat my pussy) over and over again. Alison quickly closed the door as she turned a deep shade of red.

"Was that," Emily began.

"Yeah Madeline and I think that was her French teacher," Allison said.

"That explains why she missed dinner tonight," Allie commented.

Emily took Allie's hand before saying, "Why don't you come to my place."

Allie quickly accepted the offer and the two women walked hand in hand towards Emily's car.

AN: Hope you all enjoy the update and please let me know what you think.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Miranda's Dream

Miranda knew she was dreaming but she strangely ok with it. The reason was that this often experienced dream represented one of the most important moments in her life. She was at Pastis, a posh Manhattan restaurant, to celebrate the retirement of one of the Elias-Clark board members. She wasn't a particular fan of the man but sometimes being editor-in-chief of the world's top fashion magazine meant attending events she would have otherwise avoided. She waited for the right moment to slip out to the bar. There was simply no way she was making it through the rest of this dinner on wine alone.

She walked to the bar and ordered a single malt scotch on the rocks. For reasons she will never understand, her eyes were drawn to the other end of the bar. There she made contact with a very familiar set of brown eyes. Further observation revealed something different about the Andrea she once knew. Before she could collect her thoughts on the subject the woman in question picked up her drink and approached her. She took the stool next to Miranda, got the bartender's attention, and got a refill on her bourbon. Miranda waited interested to see what her former employee would say to her. She half expected to be told off by the young woman. Andrea got her drink took a long pull then trained her eyes on Miranda.

"Come here often?" she asked.

Miranda was glad she had not taken a sip of her drink because her bark of laughter would have ruined the McCartney blouse she was wearing. She didn't remember Andrea having such a dry sense of humor but she liked it. She took a long look at the woman. Something had definitely changed. Not just the look in her eyes but the way that she held herself was so different.

"Confidence," she thought. The girl, no woman had a confidence that her old assistant never possessed. The Mona Lisa-esque smile that appeared on her face was further evidence confirming her hypothesis.

"Really Andrea, drinking on a school night."

"How, plebeian."

Andrea's laugh was full and throaty. Miranda thought, "I wouldn't mind hearing that sound more often." Miranda's eyes widened as Andrea began singing one of her favorite songs.

"Remember?

I remember all that you said.

You told me love was too plebeian

Told me you were through with me.

And, now, you say you love me.

Well, just to prove that you do

Why don't you cry me a river

Cry me a river.

'Cause I cried a river over you."

It took Miranda's breath away. She knows now that this is the moment, the moment that she fell in love for the first real time in her life.

"I love Arthur Hamilton," Miranda said.

"Yeah, me too"

"Ella Fitzgerald or Diana Krall?" Andrea asked.

"Ella," both women answered simultaneously.

Andrea held out her hand before saying, "Hi, I'm Andy Sachs."

Miranda got it right away. This was a fresh start.

She took her hand as she replied, "Miranda Priestly."

"Not The Miranda Priestly," Andy replied voice full of cheek.

Miranda laughed again while she realized that she had not laughed this much in some time. She blew off the retirement party preferring to spend the rest of her evening getting to know this version of Andrea Sachs.

Miranda awoke but did not move sensing that Alison was still sleeping in her arms. Her first thought was how much she enjoyed that night and how a small part of her missed that version of her now wife. People changed for any number of reasons but she sometimes missed the people they use to be. She missed the eight-year-old Cassidy's fearlessness and Caroline's sense of humor when she was thirteen. It was snarky in a way that only she could truly appreciate. She knew she would miss Madeline's way of perfectly imitating her walk and posture even when she didn't know she was doing it. She would also miss moments like this with Alison. The girl was growing up fast and would soon join Cassidy and Caroline in thinking they were far too old to be held by their mother.

As for Andrea, she wondered how much the accident had robbed her of her confidence. She had never actually told Andrea just how proud she was of her bravery in saving Elise and Alison the way she did. At the time she'd been too caught up in her fear of losing her wife. Later she had been too wrapped up in her recovery. She resolved to tell Andrea just how proud she was of her that day and every day since. She knew that it had been her fears that prompted Andrea to bring Stephanie Reyes on as her investigator and co-writer. Still, she missed that almost reckless confidence Andrea had that night and so many of the nights that followed.

She looked down as she felt Alison stir. Her eyes grew wide as the girl murmured the name, Emily. She was not aware of Alison having any friends with that name though admittedly she did not talk much about her time before she came to live with them.

She relocated a stray hair away from her daughter's face just as her eyes fluttered open.

Alison's eyes grew bright as she said, "Mom I had the weirdest dream." Miranda kept a neutral expression but inside she melted at hearing Alison call her Mom for the first time. She listened intently as Alison described her dream in detail. She tried her best to hide her shock as she described this future that seemed so very plausible. She could not contain her shock when Alison mentioned her Emily's role in this dream. She was also quite intrigued by the idea of the SmartWare and thought it would make an interesting side project. As Alison's description ended she wondered whether this was just a random dream or a new manifestation of the gift that they all now shared. She would have to talk to Andrea and Mother to see if they had any knowledge about this type of variation in the gift. "Mother, when did I start thinking of Ellen that way?" Miranda questioned herself.

"Do you realize that you called me Mom," Miranda asked when she was sure Alison had finished her story.

The girl blushed before she said, "Yeah, do you mind."

"No, of course not."

"I have thought of you as one of our daughters for some time now."

Alison seemed pleased by this as she pressed her head to Miranda's chest.

AN: Cry Me A River was written by Arthur Hamilton in 1953. The song almost perfectly sums up Miranda and Andy in my opinion. Hope you enjoy this update I am determined to finish this story so I hope to update this story soon. As always your comments are greatly appreciated. This three-chapter arc is some of my favorite work to date. It has been hard for me to write the remaining chapters of this work because I have not always felt up to the task of matching what I've written. Plus I hate goodbyes and finishing a story is saying goodbye to these characters or at least this version of them. That being said I am committed to finishing the story. Thank you all for reading and a special thanks all of you who took the time to leave comments. It is nice to know that my work connects to people in some small way.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Alice

Chapter Text

Dr. Alice Stern stepped on to the red-eye flight from LAX to JFK in a decent mood. She was excited about the prospect of seeing her daughter for the first time in almost two years. She loved Anna dearly but her new schedule teaching surgeons by day and consulting on the television show Grey's Anatomy in her spare time was eating up most of her schedule of late.

As a veteran of the red-eye, she'd changed her sleep habits a few days prior in preparation of spending several days on east coast time. She also intended to sleep for most of the flight. As she began to store her carry-on in the overhead she sensed the sudden presence of a rather fetching flight attendant offering to help. As she attempted to step aside to allow the statuesque blonde to put away her luggage she suddenly found herself pinned in place by the woman's ample breasts. She opened her mouth to apologize but quickly closed it upon seeing the woman's open and appraising stare. Instead, she thanked her for her assistance. The woman's breathy reply causes several neurons in her brain to misfire as sudden arousal flooded her system.

Since retiring as the Head of Cardiology at the prestigious Cedars-Sinai, she began indulging in all the things she denied herself in life so far. That included good coffee, fine wine, and the occasional single malt scotch. She had even tried cannabis for the first time on a recent trip to Vancouver. Unfortunately, her sex life had yet to recover from years focusing on her career and raising and mentoring Anna. She'd only occasionally indulged her carnal needs with anything other than her trusty vibrator since the death of Anna's father. When she took an occasional lover nothing stood out in a meaningful way. Besides by this stage in her life, she would have expected a diminishment of her sex drive but alas her libido appeared to be as active as ever. Her reaction to semi-intimate contact with the well-endowed blonde confirmed something she was just beginning to suspect about herself.

A few minutes after take off the blonde bombshell named Helga leaned over and asked if there was anything at all she needed. She swallowed hard easily catching the double meaning in Helga's offer. Despite the fact the woman was probably thirty years her junior, her mind could not help but consider what it would be like to join the mile-high club with the lovely Helga. Instead, she ordered whatever scotch they had onboard. A few minutes later Helga presented her with a cup of the amber liquid. She took a grateful sip and was pleasantly surprised that it happened to be her preferred brand. She gave Helga another appraising look eliciting a pleasant smile from the woman.

"We keep a couple of bottles of the good booze on board for VIP's," Helga whispered in that same breathy tone.

Before Alice could respond Helga was called away to assist another passenger. She took another pull off of her excellent scotch as she contemplated Helga's breast and her own reaction. It was becoming obvious to her that she was probably a lesbian who happened to find a partner in Anna's father Henry. She and Henry's sex life had always been good. He was an attentive lover who always put her needs ahead of his own. Her sexual encounters since Henry's death had been far less satisfying. The spark just wasn't there. She had only brushed against the other woman but she had definitely felt sparks. They both had.

She pulled a cashmere throw out of her oversized purse as the cabin lights dimmed. She covered herself and quickly fell asleep. The sensation of Helga's breasts against her back cleary running through her mind as she drifted off. The dream that followed could only be described as elicit. Her mind helpfully supplied a number of activities for and the Scandinavian beauty to do to each other. As her dream reached its crescendo she felt the familiar sensation of an approaching orgasm. Her eyes flew open and locked on Helga's who was openly watching her. She could not tear her eyes away as the little aftershocks from the unexpected orgasm rippled through her body.

Finally, the woman took the seat next to her and said, in her beautifully accented voice, "I believe that I would like to see your how do you say O-face again one day soon."

Alice watched in disbelief as Helga lowered the zipper of uniform revealing an expanse of creamy flesh. She reached into her bra and produced a business card and handed it over. Then she got up and was gone. Alice slipped the card into her purse as she contemplated just what to do about the alluring younger woman. Before she could make any concrete decision the pilot announced that they would be landing in a few minutes.

She could not decide if she was elated or disappointed that she did not see Helga again as she walked off the plane. Deciding she could use a jolt she stopped for coffee. She savored the gourmet brew as she attempted to clear her head. After taking a moment to text Anna that she'd made it to town ok, she grabbed her carry on and went in search of the rest of her luggage.

She had just reached her carousel when she found that a small child had attached itself to her legs. She looked down to see a girl with piercing blue eyes, curly brown hair and a huge smile clinging to her.

"Great Nana Alice," she called with glee.

She looked up to see a dark-haired woman approach that was clearly the girl's mother. She vaguely recalled being told that Ellen had a daughter named Andy and three granddaughters.

The younger woman held out a hand before saying, "Hi, I'm Andy and the little leg grabber is my daughter Madeline."

She shook the woman's hand and was pleased to find a stronger than expected grip. Then she surprised herself by dropping to her knees to address the girl, "Hello Madeline I'm Anna's mother Alice."

"Great Nanna Alice sounds like quite a mouthful so why don't you just call me Alice," she suggested.

Alice watched a very adult look cross the girl's face as she contemplated her options.

"My mom says that I need to always show proper respect."

"So I don't think she'd like it if I called you by your first name."

The girl brightened as she suggested an alternative, "How about GNA you know like DNA because you're a doctor."

Alice couldn't help but laugh at the girl's earnest words. She couldn't remember ever liking anyone on such short acquaintance, but she was quite smitten with the little girl with the pretty blue eyes.

"Ok, how about a compromise and you can call me Gran."

The girl put on her thinking face again before breaking out into a brilliant smile and throwing her arms around her neck. Alice had not been this thoroughly charmed by someone since the day she met Anna's father. Henry had been a real charmer alright. The girl released her from the tight embrace and she gradually regained her full height.

She shared a look with the girl's mother to see she too was quite amused by her daughter but not at all surprised her straightforward approach. She turned back towards the carousel but still did not see her luggage. Andy suggested they take a seat while they waited for her bag. They sat and she listened as Andy listed a few things they could do until Anna and Ellen finished their shift at the hospital. She had not been to New York for a number of years so she thought the Metropolitan Museum of Art sounded good to her.

After another twenty minutes passed, Alice got a bad feeling. She excused herself then found an airport employee. She gave the young man her boarding pass and luggage claim so he could look her up in the system. The young man had a look of consternation on his face as he asked her to wait for a few more minutes while he contacted an airline rep.

A few minutes later a middle-aged man found them and explained the problem. Apparently, her luggage tripped their explosives scanner and never made it aboard the plane. He went on to explain that the LAPD detonated her suitcase but found no proof of an explosive. He apologized profusely then handed over a form for her to fill out. She did so and watched the man go pale as he saw the estimated value of the dress she had intended to wear to the wedding. She assured him that the airline was getting off easy as she flashed the diamond earrings she had worn rather than put into her luggage. The matching necklace currently rested between her breasts hidden under her sweater. Despite the rather high cost of her items, he assured her that they would send her a check in a few days. She shrugged unwilling to let any of this ruin her time in New York.

She was just happy that her daughter had found someone after the tragic loss of her Meredith. It gave her hope for her daughter and a bit of hope for herself too. Losing Henry had been hard on both of them. Her mind drifted back to the statuesque Scandinavian woman and her straightforward and open interest.

After they finished up with the airline the three made their way to Andy's waiting Mercedes SUV. Alice climbed into the passenger seat while Andy got her daughter situated in the back.

"Well, that was unfortunate."

"The good news it this is New York and we can be at Bergdorf's in under thirty minutes," Andy added with a grin.

Alice smiled back as she thought that sounded like an excellent idea particularly since the airline was buying.

Half an hour later they dropped the car off with the valet then entered the stately establishment.

"Andy, darling," a well-dressed gentleman said as they entered.

"Sergio, how nice to see you."

The two exchanged air kisses before Sergio, asked, "how are the preparations for the wedding coming?"

"Well, that's why we're here."

Sergio looked taken aback as he mentioned that he knew that every design house was dying to supply clothing for the wedding. Alice knew that Anna had mentioned that she was wearing a Ralph Lauren Tuxedo. She could not recall who designed Ellen's dress but she recalled being impressed by the name. When you considered that she as the mother of the bride was supposed to wear a Versace original it did seem like quite the fashionable wedding.

To explain, Andy introduced Alice as Anna mother followed by a brief overview of her dilemma.

"So you need everything," Sergio said excitedly.

"Except her dress for the wedding, I've got that covered," Andy assured.

Sergio clapped his hand dramatically and a number of well-dressed men and woman swooped in from all corners.

Alice was surprised that they were getting this level of service but she could hardly complain.  
The real surprise was in how the group treated Andy and her daughter. "It's like their royalty," she thought to herself.

It turned out that the people Sergio summoned were the heads of women's apparel, shoes, handbags, accessories, and beauty. They were lead to a well-appointed lounge where each of the department heads spent a few minutes asking her questions about her tastes and preferences. As she finished with her fashion inquisition she was offered a tray of light Hors d'oeuvres. She took one, took a bite and felt an explosion of flavor cross her taste buds. She looked over to see that someone had brought Madi a grilled cheese and a glass of milk.

The head of apparel was the first to return with a selection of items that were tasteful if a little understated. The other members brought their selections and presented her with twelve ensembles for her to try. She was escorted to a changing room and provided the first ensemble.

She decided not to worry about how much all this was going to cost. The airline would pay a good chunk and besides, she was feeling like she needed a new wardrobe. She eyed herself in the Alexander McQueen sleeveless V-neck. She could not stop her blush as thoughts of Helga helping her out of the designer dress crept into her mind.

"This is all so ridiculous, she probably not even half your age anyway," she chastised herself.

"But she's clearly interested," Another part of her mind countered.

She decided to tune both of them out and focus on her new wardrobe instead.

She slipped on the four-inch Jimmy Choos and slung the Spade handbag over a shoulder. She walked out of the changing cubicle to find the large gallery of mirrors. Andy, Madi, and her cadre of helpers all watched as she eyed herself. She watched in amusement as Madi approached her. Everyone froze as the girl looked her up and down. She was curious when she saw the girl purse her lips in apparent dissatisfaction. Her amusement turned to confusion as she noted the dejected looks around the room.

Madi approached the head of apparel and whispered something in her ear. The woman immediately brightened then gave orders to her assistant.

Madi approached her then explained, "I told her that with your skin tone you should be wearing more vibrant colors and that I did not want to see any more grey dresses."

She looked towards Andy then the other adults in the room but everyone was taking the little girls words seriously. She was by no means a fashion expert so, "Why not," she thought as she took another sip of and offered flute of a good champagne.

An hour later she checked out having acquired a total of eight outfits that were perfect for any number of events this week and when she returned to LA. When she eyed the total she saw a number significantly less than she expected. When she mentioned it to Andy she responded, "They probably gave you the employee discount."

When she gave Andy a confused look, Andy cryptically responded, "oh we insisted that they stop giving us free stuff."

Before she could ask a follow-up question, a trio of assistants offered to help them take her purchases out to their car.

They loaded everything into the back of the roomy SUV then Andy gave each of them a healthy tip.

As she situated herself in the Mercedes she tried to recall everything Anna had told her about Ellen's family. The truth was she had not paid much attention. It wasn't that she didn't care but these types of things were really more Henry's territory than hers.

"Where to now," she asked after Andy slipped behind the wheel.

The young woman favored her with a brilliant smile then said, "I did promise you a dress."

Alice was curious when they pulled in front of a large tower office building. "Isn't Elias-Clark a publishing company," she wondered to herself.

As they entered the building she looked on in wonder as the woman and girl were treated like they owned the place.

The head of security presented himself and greeted them warmly.

"Hey Stan, This is Anna's mother Dr. Alice Stern."

"Can you make her a badge we're headed up The Closet."

The man gave a knowing chuckle before disappearing for a few minutes. He came back and handed her a badge then told them to, "have fun."

Alice felt like the other Alice as they were both down the rabbit hole now.

As they exited the elevator things began to make a little more sense. While she never paid much attention to the fashion world, even she knew the name of Runway Magazine. That did not answer all of her questions but at least she knew she had not stumbled into Wonderland.

She began to reconsider her last thought as she looked around the bustling tribute to glass and steel. "This just might be Wonderland after all," she thought.

She looked down at her smaller companion as she began a whispered conversation with her mother. They went back and forth before Andy finally agreed to whatever thing she wanted to do. She gave the other woman and indulgent smile. As a fellow mother, she'd had her fair share of those conversations in Anna's youth. She watched as the girl approached an unsuspecting redhead.

The girl cleared her throat then in a very adult but quiet voice said, "Emily."

The woman's jumped then turned around wide-eyed.

The girl burst into a fit of giggles that only multiplied as the woman began to tickle her belly in retaliation.

"Hey Em," Andy said.

The woman gave her a bitchy look before her face broke out into a huge grin.

Introductions were made followed by Andy explaining why they were there.

"Ok Munchkin you want to go with your mommy or hang out with me," Emily offered.

When the little girl waivered, Emily added, "I'm working on the book."

Madi lit up like it was Christmas day.

"We'll be in my office when you're done," Emily declared as she chased the girl away with another round of retaliatory tickling.

As they walked towards the closet, Andy paused in front of two empty desks. The young woman had a faraway look for a moment before she said, "My whole life changed right here."

She looked at the younger woman with interest wanting to hear the story.

"I was standing in this spot the first time I heard the voice that belonged to the woman who would become the love of my life," she confessed.

"That sounds like an interesting story," Alice responded.

"Oh you don't know the half of it," Andy offered.

"I'll tell you the whole thing later but for now, I'll just say it is probably the most unlikely love story anyone has ever heard."

Alice was certainly intrigued as she followed the younger woman further into the gleaming offices.

The room they entered was indeed fashion wonderland. Row after row of dresses, racks, and racks of shoes, hats, belts, and purses. Now she knew why they came here to find the right dress for the wedding.

Andy walked towards one of the racks and pulled a dress just as exquisite as the one Anna had sent her weeks before. Andy handed her the dress then pointed her towards the dressing room.  
She slipped out of her clothes then ditched her bra.

"Not bad for an old woman", she thought as she looked at herself in the mirror wearing only a black thong. She slipped into the dream of a dress surprised that this one also fit like a glove. She slipped on the offered heals then presented herself to the younger woman expecting to get the same perusal that she'd gotten from her great-granddaughter. Instead, she got a brilliant smile that made her smile back in return.

She looked at herself in the full-length mirror and was rather pleased with how it fit her.

"It's like it was made for me," she said.

She looked at the young woman as saw a strange look on her face.

"It kind of was," Andy replied.

"Ok, I've been wondering this all day so I'm just going to ask, Are you someone important?"

"Most days I think of myself as the little girl who grew up in Ohio dreaming about becoming a writer one day," Andy began.

"But," Alice prompted.

Andy smiled at her then said, "Why don't you change out of that gorgeous dress then we can talk."

She slipped back into her clothes then handed the dress to Andy. She put the gown into a travel carrier then led her out of the closet. They walked back the way they came ending back where they started. This time they were greeted by a pretty young woman sitting at one of the desks.

Andy introduced them then the young woman named Emma offered to get them coffee. She was going to refuse but something told her that coffee runs were a normal part of the job. She gave the girl her order then Andy escorted her into the nearby office. She took a few moments to explore the beautifully decorated space It certainly wasn't Andy's office but the young woman certainly looked quite at home as she sat on an expensive looking couch. She turned to the dark haired woman interested in hearing her tale.

"So how did a midwestern girl become the queen of New York?" Alice finally asked.

Before she could answer the young woman returned with two Starbucks cups in each hand.

"That was fast," Alice commented.

Emma and Andy shared a laugh before the young woman handed over the coffees.

Before Emma could leave Andy spoke, "I'll see you tomorrow for dinner, and remember you will be our guest so don't let Miranda send you on any errands."

The young woman blushed but looked quite pleased.

As Emma exited the office Alice raised an eyebrow as the mystery that was Andy Priestley deepened.

Andy laughed at the gesture before she said, "Emma was invited to the dinner by my daughter Cassidy."

Alice's gave her another long look not sure she heard her correctly.

Andy took mercy on Alice by solving one of the mysteries.

"Cassidy and her sister Caroline will celebrate their eighteenth birthday in a few weeks."

Andy laughed off her look of disbelief before she began her tale.

"I was twenty-four when my boyfriend at the time and I moved to New York."

"He was an aspiring chef and I was an aspiring writer."

"He got a job as a sous chef at a nice little restaurant but I couldn't get my foot in the door anywhere in publishing."

"So I found myself here."

"I probably knew less about Runway that you did."

Alice wanted to respond but the truth was she only knew enough about the fashion industry to recognize the names of the biggest designers. It's not like she didn't like lovely clothing she just never took the time to learn more. She nodded her agreement and allowed Andy to continue.

She listened mesmerized by Andy's unlikely story. Working for a woman known as the "Devil in Prada." How horrible she was to Andy. Andy proving herself then quitting in the middle of Paris Fashion Week.

"Wow that's a movie all by itself," Alice said.

Andy laughed before she said, "You have no idea."

"Fast forward a few years and we meet again, become friends, become more than friends."

"Oh," Alice said as the pieces to the puzzle finally dropped into place.

Andy picked up a picture that sat on Miranda's desk and handed it over.

"Our family," Andy said.

Alice looked at the beautiful couple surrounded by twin girls, with Madeline in the middle.

The second time my life changed is when Madi was born. I was told in college that I could never carry a fetus to term so my lovely wife carried her for both of us.

"My life changed a third time a year ago when I met your daughter."

Alice listened intently as Andy described her efforts to seek a killer and finding her Aunt she thought was dead, her daughter Allison, reconnecting with her mother, and meeting Anna.

Alice knew how such events could bond a group, so she thought she understood why Anna felt so at home with this group of extraordinary women and girls. What she could not quite figure out is why she felt so at home with both Andy and Madi. She also had little doubt that she would get along just as well with Miranda, Ellen and the rest of the family. As she came out of her musings something from the back of her brain came forward.

"I read your book," Alice said.

"I can't believe I didn't make the connection before now."

Andy gave a shy smile then said, "I wrote my first book before Miranda and I were married and in publishing, you don't change your name ever."

They talked for a little while about her writing career. Andy gave her quite the preview of the story she was currently working on. Alice found herself very impressed with this young woman.

As Andy's story ended, Alice came to a conclusion.

Andy looked at her a long moment before she asked," Do you have something on your mind."

Alice looked up astonished.

"Are you also a mind reader?"

"Not exactly," Andy replied.

She shook her head at another enigma she would have to unravel later.

"I met someone on the plane from LA," she confessed.

"Oh," Andy said then waited for her to finish.

"She's a lot younger than me so I ignored her interest in me."

"And now you're rethinking things," Andy guessed.

"I can't get her out of my head."

She suddenly felt compelled to say more so she explained her orgasmic dream and waking to find Helga's eyes glued to her own.

Strangely the embarrassment she normally felt when talking about something so private never came.

"I don't know why I just told you that," Alice said.

In response, Andy told her about the gift the women in her family all seemed to share. If she had not experienced it first hand she could have easily dismissed the whole thing, Instead, she decided to test the theory.

"And what am I thinking now,"

Andy laughed again then said, "I told you I was not exactly a mind reader but if I had to guess you're thinking about sex."

Alice was only mildly surprised that she both got it right and her own willingness to openly admit to it.

After acknowledging that she indeed had been thinking about sex with Helga, she made a snap decision. She retrieved the card from the bottom of her purse and dialed the number before she could change her mind.

"Hello," came across the line breathy and sexy.

"Hi Helga it's Alice from the plane," she finished.

Before she could chastise herself for her smooth repartee, Helga answered, "Oh Alice I was just thinking about you."

Alice felt that familiar tingle run up her spine as Helga's voice caused her arousal to spike.

"She took a calming breath before she said, I was wondering if you'd like to by my guest at a dinner party tomorrow night."

"That sounds lovely," Helga replied.

"How are we dressing?" Helga asked.

She looked at Andy who whispered, "Semi-formal."

She relayed the information to Helga.

"Alice, I would love to go with you but I did not bring anything with me that I could wear," Helga said.

Alice covered the phone then told Andy, "She doesn't have anything wear."

Andy grinned then said, "Tell her you'll send something over within the hour and that there will be a car waiting for her tomorrow at 7."

Alice grinned back then relayed the information to Helga.

"I knew you would call," Helga said after accepting her invitation and thanking her for the dress and the car.

"How'd you know?" Alice asked unable to help herself.

"You were thinking of me when you came on the plane," Helga stated as a matter of fact.

Alice only blushed slightly before she said, "You are hard to forget."

"Good, see you soon," she replied then disconnected.

Alice put her phone back in her purse a little amazed that she had just asked out her first woman.

Andy pulled her out of her thoughts as she said, "come on we have a dress to pick out."

Back in the closet, Andy picked out a couple of options but Alice didn't think any of them were right. "She's rather tall a little taller than Anna," Alice said.

Andy picked out two more choices but Alice shook off both.

Andy laughed before she asked, "Busty?"

Alice could not help the blush this time as Helga's breasts were definitely on her mind at the moment.

"I'll take that as a yes," Andy said as she picked out one final dress.

Alice nodded an emphatic yes as she pictured the statuesque woman in the sexy LBD.

Andy smiled then asked her to guess Helga's shoe size.

Alice gave her best guess and Andy chose a pair of strappy Prada heels.

She sealed everything up in a travel bag then motioned for Alice to follow her.

When they got back to Miranda's office, Andy asked Emma to messenger the dress over to the Lowel.

"I'm actually headed that way, So I can drop it off," Emma offered.

"Thank you, Emma," Andy said handing over the dress and shoe bag. With that accomplished, Andy said, "Why don't we grab the munchkin and head over to the Met."

Alice retrieved her purse eager to spend the remainder of the afternoon with Andy and her youngest daughter.

AN: I am so glad to get this out. It took five attempts to finally write something I was happy with. I appreciate everyone who has enjoyed this work and I am busily working on the next chapter. I love this story but I want to finish it and I can see a clear path to the end. Let me know what you think


	23. Chapter 23

CH 23: Family

Rose Martinez was beginning to feel desperate. "Oh who am I kidding, I am desperate," she thought. She had been too prideful to accept a dress for Ellen and Anna's engagement dinner from her new girlfriend. She just didn't want Caroline to think of her as poor. She wasn't poor, of course, but she certainly could not afford the type of clothing she would need to keep up with the expectations of Caroline's family. So she'd wanted to find something decent on her own. Over the last few days, she'd been to every second-hand store in Brooklyn with no luck whatsoever. Now with the party only a day away, she finally bit the bullet and came into Manhattan. Trips to H&M and Macys made it clear that she just could not afford anything remotely good enough from either place.

Dejected, she slipped into a coffee shop and sat on a huge oversized chair and tried not to mope. Meeting Caroline was an unexpected and pleasant surprise and she had to admit that she was very happy about it. She was just afraid that when she showed up at the party looking like a fashion reject she was sure that one harsh look from Caroline's mom would turn her into a big ball of flaming goo.

"Shit," she thought before running her hands through her thick dark hair.

Unexpectedly she suddenly heard Caroline's voice behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw a pretty blonde talking to her girlfriend via facetime. She deliberately eavesdropped as Caroline openly flirted with the well-dressed woman. Suddenly seeing red she strode over to blondie and relieved her of her phone. She pointed the camera at her own face and was about to give Caroline a piece of her mind when something in the girl's eyes gave her pause.

Her face calmed then reddened as the penny dropped.

"You must be Cassidy," Rose said sheepishly.

Cassidy for her part greeted Rose good-naturedly, "And you're Rose."

"Yeah sorry for interrupting," she said to Caroline and the pretty blonde.

"You thought I was Car, but you figured it out on your own so good for you. I think I like you, Rose Martinez," Cassidy declared.

She felt a little better about things as she handed the other woman her phone back. She sat back down happy to have avoided a near disaster but she was still no closer to solving her main problem. She sat for several minutes but no other inspiration came to mind. She was contemplating asking Caroline for help with her tail planted firmly between her legs when she looked up to see the blonde standing in front of her.

She handed her a coffee as she said, "Hi, I'm Emma."

"I'm Rose but I guess you knew that already," She said as she accepted the coffee.

Emma laughed then said, "Yeah I won't forget that anytime soon. Mind if I join you?"

Rose agreed and Emma took a seat on a nearby chair.

"I figured since we're going to be dating twin sisters we may as well get to know each other."

"I don't know about that," Rose responded unhappily.

"Oh, I thought you liked Caroline," Emma said

Rose responded, "I do, I mean I really like Caroline a lot."

"So what's the problem?" Emma asked.

"The problem is that I'm going to show up tomorrow looking like a clown and be banished forever."

Rose took a minute to explain her dilemma. Emma smiled back at her then said, "Girlie today's your lucky day."

"Come on I've got to run an errand than we'll find you the perfect look," Emma said.

Rose sighed in relief before she eagerly accepted Emma's offer to help.

The two walked the few blocks over to the Lowell Hotel and took the elevator up as Emma explained the errand she was running on behalf of Anna's mother.

Emma knocked on the door then stood back as a tall drop dead gorgeous woman answered and invited them in.

A few minutes later both young women stood in the hall outside of Helga's room.

"Way to go, Alice," Rose said.

"I know, right," Emma said in full agreement.

They left the Lowell walking in the direction of the Lexington Street Station.

"So how did you and Cassidy meet?" Rose asked.

Emma blushed before she said, "I um work for Cass's mom."

Rose looked back at the other woman quite impressed, "Damn girl you've got brass ones."

Emma stood a little taller. She had never really thought of herself as brave but maybe Rose had a point. "She was not as brave as the former Andy Sachs had been but still not bad," she thought.

"How about you and Caroline?" Emma asked.

Rose told the story about meeting Caroline the night of the explosion and about helping Ellen save a boy's life. Emma was also quite impressed with Rose and how she handled both the emergency and Caroline.

"So are you going to be a doctor one day?" Emma followed up.

It was Rose's turn to blush. "Yeah, I think I am," Rose said.

"What about you, you going to be editor-in-chief one day?"

Emma laughed then said, "No way."

"I wanted to do public relations but no one would hire me without experience."

"So you ended up at a fashion magazine instead," Rose said.

"Yeah, and it's the best thing that could have happened to me."

Rose listened as Emma described what it was like to work for Miranda.

"Wow, I'm not sure I could handle that," Rose claimed.

"It's not as bad as it sounds. Once I realized that all she really cared about is that the job gets done it was actually kind of easy."

Rose laughed at that then said, "I'm sure you are the only one of her assistants to think that way."

It was Emma's turn to laugh, "Well there was one assistant who set an impossibly high standard for all of us."

Rose gave her a questioning look before Emma continued, "Andy is still a legend around Runway."

Emma walked for a few steps before she realized she had left Rose behind. She turned to find Rose staring at her in astonishment.

Rose took a few steps to catch up. "You mean Andy was her assistant."

"Yeah, that's how they met. I thought everyone knew that."

"Maybe in your world," Rose countered.

The two women walked down into the subway and took the train towards the Garment District as Emma told what she knew about Miranda and Andy's strange journey towards happily ever after.

Miranda with Allie's help put all of her clothes back into her closet. They talked for a while about her feelings and decided that an extra therapy session this week would be a good idea. She made the call and was pleased that her therapist could get her in this afternoon. The two headed downstairs preparing to leave when they bumped into the twins.

"Where are you two headed?" Car asked.

Allie took the bull by the horns. She told Caroline and Cassidy about how things had gone with her mom and what she asked of their mom and finally about her extra therapy session.

Both girls turned to their mom as Cassidy asked, "So are we adopting Allie."

"What would you think about that?" Miranda asked. She knew the answer but she thought that it would do Allie some good to hear it.

Both girls took on a thoughtful look for a moment then grinned broadly.

"I think, we'll keep her," Car said.

"Yeah, you're not so bad for a little sister," Cassidy added.

Allie gave them both a watery smile already feeling a little better about things.

"Mom, why don't we take Allie to her appointment," Cass offered.

"Yeah, you've got a lot to do this afternoon. We've got this," Caroline added.

After Allie agreed, Miranda thanked the girls for the gesture. Miranda walked over to her purse and retrieved some cash. She handed the cash to Cassidy then said, "Cab money."

Cass pocketed the money then she and her sister retrieved their things. They said goodbye as they headed through the door. As they hit the street, Allie turned towards the park where she knew they could easily catch a cab. She was quickly redirected by Caroline in the other direction.

"We're taking the subway," Car said.

"But what about the cab money?" Allie questioned.

"It was Mom who said the cash was for cab money," Cass said.

"But we made no promise to take a cab," Car finished.

"So now that you're going to officially be our little sister, it's time you know some of the tricks of the trade," Car commented.

"The most important rule is that with mom there are a lot of grey areas," Cass said.

"Yeah, that's the difference between her and Ma. Ma would have given us the cash but would have made us promise to take a cab," Car said.

"No grey area there," Cass agreed.

"But with Mom, it's kind of a game. She gave us rope and as long as we are successful there won't be any blowback," Car said.

"Failure can be unpleasant," Cass added.

As they walked Allie's head switched from one twin to the other as they explained their philosophy for taking advantage of the grey areas and how to avoid Andy's more direct approach.

Allie felt better being with the twins. Their easy acceptance of her continued presence felt good. Knowing that she always have Madi to look after made her feel not just wanted but actually needed. The twins excitement about adding her as one of their sisters seemed to match her own.

The trio emerged from the subway discussing Anna and Ellen's wedding plans. The twins were especially pleased that they would be dressing quite differently since Cass, Mom and Anna were all wearing Ralph Lauren tuxedos, while Caroline, Allie, and Madi would be in dresses designed by a new up and coming designer that Emma had brought to their Mom. Cass smiled when she thought about Emma. Since asking her mother's first assistant on their first date, they had talked and texted several times. She flirted shamelessly with Emma who after some initial hesitation began to flirt back.

They quickly made their way to the offices of Allie's therapist. All three liked Dr. Leigh Wong. The woman was kind and understanding but firm when she needed to be. They also liked how she always came out to greet her patients and their family before and after each session.

Since today was a solo session the twins greeted the doctor warmly before Cass said, "Take care of our little sister doc."

Allie gave them a sweet smile before heading back towards the doctor's offices.

"Hey, do you mind waiting here for Allie, while I run a quick errand?" Cass asked.

"Sure thing," Caroline responded but she gave her sister the eye as she did so.

Cass blushed slightly before she responded to the unspoken question, "We passed a flower shop on our way over."

Caroline grinned at her suddenly shy sister. "You think she's the one don't you?"

"Yeah," Cass replied in a dreamy voice. She shook her head to clear it then turned the tables on her twin, "What about you and Rose?"

It was Car's turn to get shy as she replied, "Maybe,"

Cass gave her the eye this time.

"Oh, alright more than just maybe," Caroline conceded.

The two looked at each other in wonder pleased that they had both found love.

The two exchanged a hug then Cass excused herself and headed in the direction of the little flower shop.

She recognized the name as a place that her Mom frequently used. She walked in and was greeted by a friendly older woman who introduced herself as Ginny.

"How can I help you today, young lady?" Ginny asked.

"I want to buy flowers from someone special," Cass responded.

"How things have changed. When I was your age it was usually the boys who brought the flowers," Ginny said.

"Oh, there for a girl," Cass blurted.

Ginny gave her a knowing look then said, "Then I know just the thing."

Ten minutes later Cass paid the bill adding a little extra for next same day delivery. Ginny had been quite helpful in choosing the right thing for Emma. When Ginny explained that the hybrid pink and yellow orchid had helped her to woo her wife, she'd loved the idea. Cass smiled at thinking of Emma getting back to the office this evening and finding the delicate flower on her desk. As she headed for the door she looked back at Ginny and asked, "Have we met before,"

"No Cassidy Priestley I think I would have remembered," Ginny said.

"How did you know my last name?" Cass asked.

Ginny just held up the receipt with Cass scrawled name across it.

"Well it was nice to meet you, Ginny, tell your wife I said hello."

Ginny smiled as she said, "good luck with you Emma."

As Cassidy walked out of the shop, Ginny's wife came up hugging her from behind.

"You need to be more careful love," her wife lightly scolded.

"I know, I know," Ginny responded.

"Do I need to explain the concept of the multiverse to you again Ginny," she said.

"I know, we aren't meant to know them in this time in place Hermione give me some credit."

"Alright love, why don't we close early so you can take your wife to bed," Hermione suggested.

"Yes love," Ginny wisely agreed.

Cass checked her watch and realized she still had time for coffee. She slipped into a coffee shop and ordered a latte for herself, chai tea for Car and a hot chocolate for Allie. She grabbed her phone when it vibrated with an incoming text. She smiled as she read Emma's message asking her how her day was going.

Instead of texting back she used her facetime app to call instead.

"Hey Cass," Emma said before taking a sip of coffee.

Cass found a seat in her own coffee shop as she replied, "Hi gorgeous."

Emma felt a little uncomfortable with being described that way. She knew she was pretty but working at Runway made it clear what that term really meant. She decided to redirect the conversation slightly.

"I didn't know we were at the pet name stage."

Cass smiled at Emma's obvious ploy.

"First of all, I described you as gorgeous because that is what you are on the inside and on the outside too. Secondly, I don't consider that a pet name but I can think of one if you'd like, pumpkin."

Emma's laugh was sweet and made Cass feel fantastic. Emma sometimes took life to seriously and Cass was happy to force her lighter side to the surface.

Emma responded, "I only think that works in the fall."

"Good point, cupcake," Cass said.

"You're awful at this," Emma responded with a smile.

"Hey," Cass responded pretending pout.

"Oh, you're so adorable when you pout," Emma.

"You think I'm adorable," Cass said brightening considerably.

"Yes, Cass I find you quite adorable, now, am I forgiven?" Emma asked.

Cass smiled back then said, "Your forgiven, darling"

They both wrinkled their noses then laughed at Cass's use of her mom's preferred pet name for her Ma.

They settled into a comfortable conversation as Emma continued to test her own flirting chops. "Not bad," Cass thought as Emma hinted at certain intimacies they both looked forward towards sharing in the near future. Their shared reverie was cut short when Emma's phone was suddenly hijacked by a fiery young woman.

Cass walked back into the waiting room and handed Car her tea as she sat next to her.

"What took you so long?" Car asked.

"You're not going to believe it," Cass said before she explained her serendipitous encounter with Rose.

"Did you mean it when you said you liked her," Caroline asked as Cass finished her story.

Cassidy took a long look at her twin as she tried to work out what she was actually asking.

"You don't think anyone cares that she's latin?"

The look on Car's face said it all.

"Aw Car, why would you think anyone cared about who you fell for as long as they are a good person and good to you."

"I know that Cass, but it's still good to actually hear you say it."

The two hugged again then Cass punched her sister in the arm.

"Ow, what was that for."

"For worrying yourself over nothing."

Rose and Emma stepped into Mood Fabric and were greeted happily by a young man Emma introduced as Ethan. She described what the were looking for and Ethan gave them a guided tour of the store. They picked out several prints that Emma thought worked well with Rose's light brown skin. Emma was rather impressed with the two lovely prints Rose picked. Rose was just happy to have gotten out of the iconic store without having to sell a kidney to pay her credit card bill. From Mood, the duo walked a few blocks and ended up in the loft apartment slash design studio of a small design business run by two young women Emma knew from college. Amy was the designer and May was already considered one of the best young seamstresses in the city. The young couple was adorably happy as Emma explained what they wanted and why. They knew that getting a chance to show one of their designs to the Queen of Fashion could launch their company into a whole new world.

Emma had not told the dup that they were already on Miranda's radar. Miranda's total and complete knowledge of any design talent in the city and beyond was one of the many reasons the pages of Runway were always ahead of the next trends. The two women had Rose strip down to her skivvies as they began draping fabric over Rose's toned body.

"Caroline is a lucky girl," Emma thought as she took a seat and started answering some emails. Amy and May's design process was very collaborative as Amy threw out some ideas and May made adjustments and suggestions. They knew that they would have to work all night to get it done but they were both happy with the final design. They told Rose to drop by tomorrow morning to try on the dress which would give May time to make any needed adjustments.

Emma told Rose to drop buy Runway around five. She told Rose that she'd had some idea for shoes and a couple of accessories that would work well with Rose's new dress. She also let her know that her friends Stacey and Rhonda would do their hair and makeup and that there would be a car to deliver them to the Priestly townhouse.

"Hey, You want to grab an early dinner," Emma asked as they were walking towards the subway station. Rose quickly agreed as each young woman felt that they had just made a new friend.

Caroline, Cassidy, and Allie made it back to the townhouse just as Miranda was starting to get serious about cooking dinner. She chose comfort foods for tonight's family only dinner as a contrast with the catered fair they would be eating the following evening. All three girls offered to help and were quickly put to work. In moments Miranda had her kitchen running as well as any five-star restaurant. She checked the temperature of the meat and thought that it should be ready to come out in another hour. She sent a group text to Andy, Anna, and Ellen informing them that dinner would be ready to hit the table at seven but that they should arrive at twenty till for drinks.

Andy, Alice, and Madeline were the next to arrive. Alice was introduced to the kitchen crew but they all agreed they would do more formal introductions after the preparations for dinner were done. Cass winked at Car and Allie before she said, "Hey Madi you want to help us with dinner."

The girl turned her nose up dramatically before she replied, "I don't do cooking."

Andy turned and looked at her youngest giving her a stern look. Madi responded, "Sorry Mama."

"It's OK sweetheart but remember that no one in this house is too good for hard work."

The girl nodded her head before she was dismissed to change for dinner.

Andy then turned an eye towards Cassidy who had instigated the whole thing.

"Sorry Mama," Cass echoed as Caroline, Allie, and even Miranda sniggered.

Andy led Alice into the library then offered her a drink.

Alice asked for and gratefully accepted a tumbler of Laphroaig single malt scotch.

Andy opened a good French red so it could breath before dinner then made drinks for herself and her wife. Just as she poured the Knob Creek Bourbon for Miranda she appeared. She and Alice exchanged a firm handshake then she offered Alice a seat. Alice sat in a lovely armchair while Andy and Miranda practically sat on top of each other on a nearby sofa. Alice took a look around the room and was impressed. The decor was a hodgepodge of styles from a number of different countries but somehow it all worked well together.

"You have a great taste, I particularly love this rug," Alice offered.

"I picked it up in a bazaar in Marrakech. We were scouting a location for a shoot that ended up in the November 2015 issue. I talked Andrea into accompanying me."

Andy smiled at her spouse as she described their experiences in Morocco. She loved listening to Miranda when she was professorial. It was this version of Miranda she had first fallen in love with. "The Cerulean lecture," had been a turning point for them in more way than one. It had made her take Miranda's chosen profession more seriously but it had also changed the way she looked at the other woman. Being dressed down in a room full of people had sucked but after she got over the humiliation there had been something about the whole thing that got her hot and bothered. Before she could tune back into the conversation the memory of what they'd done on this rug the first night they'd gotten back home came into sharp relief. The feel of the silk rug against her naked back. Miranda straddling her waist and riding her fingers.

"What was the name of that little restaurant that had the conical lids on all the food?" Miranda asked.

"Libzar," Andy answered distractedly.

Miranda took a closer look at her spouse and saw a very familiar look in the brunette's eyes.

Thankfully they heard the door open and close as the voices of Anna and Ellen floated in.

Andy shot up to greet her mother and soon to be stepmother.

"Miranda, can I talk to you for a moment, upstairs?" Andy asked.

Miranda smiled at Alice, "If you'll excuse us I'm sure that Anna and Ellen can entertain you until our return."

Ellen smiled indulgently at her daughter then whispered, "you seem to be in a hurry," into her ear.

She laughed at the," No shit," her daughter whispered back.

Andy grabbed her wife by the hand as she hustled them both out of the room. Miranda just had enough time to tell Cassidy to take the meat out in ten minutes before she was dragged toward the stairs.

Anna formally introduced her mother to her fiance. Alice stood and pulled her daughter into a warm hug. She did the same with Ellen who returned it just as warmly. Ellen took over as host topping off Alice's scotch then making quick work of a pair of cosmopolitans for Anna and herself. They took the sofa recently vacated by her daughters.

They looked at a clearly distracted Alice who asked, "Is everything Ok with Andy?"

Ellen smiled back as she thought of how to respond. "In for a penny in for a pound," she thought before she said, "Oh, she's fine. She and Miranda decided to fit in a quickie before dinner."

Alice was a little taken aback by Ellen's frank answer.

"Did she tell you that?" Alice asked truly curious.

"She didn't have to. I've just seen that look before."

Alice was now as curious as ever but thought it would be impolite to ask more questions. She decided to wait until they were a few more drinks into the night to ask those questions.

As she took another sip of her scotch, Anna asked, "How was your flight?"

She coughed as a small quantity of the amber liquid went down the wrong pipe.

Miranda had no idea what had gotten Andrea so worked up but she was grateful. She'd been turned on all afternoon since she had the dream. The night they'd first reconnected she'd laid in bed for hours thinking about this confident sexy version of Andrea Sachs. She'd finally given in and reached for her vibrator. She had not reservations sighing Andrea's name as her orgasm rose and fell.

As soon as the door to their room closed, Andrea pushed her up against the door. Her wife's lips were on her neck in the place that drove her insane. She put her hand over her mouth in an attempt to keep their lovemaking to a dull roar.

Andy slipped her hand under Miranda's skirt and caressed her between her legs.

"I need to be inside of you baby," Andy whispered her voice raspy with desire.

Miranda's slipped her own hands underneath her skirt and began to pull on her pantyhose. Her efforts ceased as she felt Andrea tear them at the seam. She looked into Andy's wild eyes and it took her breath away. She felt a tickle as her wife's fingers brushed against her entrance.

"Oh, goddess," Miranda said as long fingers touched her innermost place. She hooked a leg around the younger woman to bring her that much closer. Their lips locked as Miranda moaned into Andy's mouth. As her orgasm approached, Miranda felt the sudden urge to be fully claimed. She unbuttoned her blouse exposing her shoulders. It only took her wife a moment to realize what she wanted as she sank her teeth into the soft skin of Miranda's left shoulder. Miranda panted hard as Andrea increased the speed and force with each stroke. Finally, as she bit down hard enough for a little pain to seep through all the layers of pleasure her orgasm arrived sending wild electrical currents through her entire body.

"Andrreeaa!" Miranda exclaimed in a rush of pleasure, pain, love, and lust. Andy was so close after hearing her wife say her name in that oh so french way as she came. In a quick motion, Andy found herself pulled toward their bed. Miranda tore at the button of her slacks and quickly pulled them down her thighs. They locked eyes as Andy felt her underwear swept aside then she felt oh so full. She signed in pure contentment as Miranda allowed her canal to expand to accommodate three of her fingers. The slow powerful thrust of her wife's hand felt so good. She was glad she was seated on the bed because there was no way her legs could hold her weight right now.

"Oh, Oh, Oh," Andy cried out as Miranda began to push against a certain rough patch of skin along her vaginal wall. Miranda knew her so well as she ended each subsequent thrust with stronger and stronger contact against that exact same spot each time.

'Yes baby, right there fuck that pussy baby fuck it," Andy said in a rush.

Miranda obliged and was quickly rewarded as she felt her wife clench around her probing fingers.

"How do I look, darling?" Miranda asked after she'd reapplied her makeup and disposed of the now ruined pantyhose. It was not the first set of thousand dollar hose that hadn't survived her wife's lust.

"And worth every penny," she thought with a smile

"Good enough to eat,' Andy responded.

"Later tonight,' Miranda promised.

"You ok, Mom," Anna asked.

Alice held up her hand before she finally managed, "yes, just had some of this excellent scotch go down the wrong way."

"So Ellen have you chosen a specialty yet?" she asked. Though she sincerely wanted to know, it felt like an excellent way to avoid describing her flight from L.A. She had every intention of mentioning Helga at some point tonight but she was not yet drunk enough to have that conversation.

"Yes, I've decided to specialize in thoracic surgery," Ellen replied.

Alice felt a sudden kinship with the younger woman. Her choice to pursue such a difficult specialty so close to her own Cardiothoracic specialty left Alice feeling quite impressed.

As they talked more Alice realized that she was thoroughly enjoying getting to know her soon to be daughter-in-law. As Ellen described her recent experience during a gas line explosion, she felt a sudden spike of arousal. She looked at her daughter and daughter-in-law and thought she caught a hint that they too felt the sudden shift in the atmosphere. She quickly shook it off but the sudden desire to probe Helga with her tongue lingered. She took a long pull from her drink to calm her nerves.

Before their conversation could resume, Madeline strolled in and climbed into Ellen's lap. Ellen stroked her granddaughter's hair lovingly as she changed the subject to the more kid-friendly topic of the wedding. Alice had to laugh as the little girl turned into the consummate wedding planner. She decided to cut back on the booze after another round of sudden arousal coursed through her veins. It was more muted than the first but she thought she caught a slight widening of Anna's irises as it happened.

Moments later Andy and Miranda reentered the library hand in hand to announce that dinner would be ready momentarily. Alice took a long look at both women. She was beginning to believe that Ellen was joking when she said they were going upstairs for a quickie until she noted Miranda's now bare legs.

"Oh," she thought as she caught and an unexpected glimpse of a growing bruise on the smooth planes of Miranda's left shoulder.

As they walked into the dining room she was greeted by an immaculately set table. Her mouth watered as one of the girls placed a perfectly cooked slab of prime rib down in front of her. They passed around an assortment of side dishes as Andy properly introduced Alice to the rest of her girls. She took a bite of the meat and closed her eyes in pure enjoyment. After the first few bites, the conversation began to flow. Madeline started by taking them through the trip to the airport, their shopping spree, then scaring the living daylights out of Emily. Alice watched the amusement and pride cross Miranda's face as her youngest spoke. The twins went next and she laughed along with everyone else at Cassidy's take on the mistaken identity incident between her and Caroline's new girlfriend Rose. Despite the rocky start, it seemed that Rose and Emma had become fast friends. She was a little surprised at how much pride Caroline had in her voice as she talked about Rose's ambitions to go from paramedic to MD. She'd known her share of people over the years who made the transition. If the young lady was as smart as she was described and with Caroline's support she thought she had a good chance of making it happen.

The table quieted as Allie described her visit to see her mother. She felt for the girl but thought she had found a home among this group. She belatedly realized that she also seemed to fit in pretty well. That surprised her as she was normally quite standoffish around people she did not know well. Finally, it was her turn. She told them all about her previous day working on the set of Greys. The girls all wanted to know about Ellen Pompeo. She delighted the girls by telling them how jealous Ellen would be when she found out that she had dinner with Miranda Priestly and her author wife. She decided to leave any mention of Helga until she had at least another drink. Dinner wined down about the same time as young Madeline climbed into Allie's lap and promptly fell asleep. The girl wished everyone goodnight as she left to put Madi to bed.

Andy ushered them back into the library where everyone including the twins was offered a glass of delightful port wine. Just as she sat and took another sip her daughter spoke, "So Helga."

Alice managed to swallow her wine. She shot Andy a look causing the brunette to laugh as she said, "Don't look at me."

"What am I missing," Miranda said.

"Andy didn't tell you when you went upstairs to talk," Alice said using air quotes around the word talk.

That caused the room to erupt in laughter and broke any tension Alice was feeling.

After Cass admitted that Emma had spilled the beans on the lovely Helga, Alice told the group her story of meeting Helga including a pg-13ish rated version of the dream and Helga's reaction.

"Wow, mom," Anna said impressed with her mother's sudden comfort with both her sexuality and with the women she now considered family.

Caroline was the first to call it a night after getting a text from Rose. Cass made her own excuse a few minutes later eager to talk to Emma. The five remaining women decided to have another drink as none of them had to be up early the following day. They talked a little more about the wedding preparations but that soon became useless as everyone acknowledged they'd probably drank a little too much for detailed planning. During the lull in conversation, Alice looked at Andy and Miranda and asked, "Did you two really have a quickie before dinner?"

She could feel her face heat as a blush crept up from her neck. She soon realized she shouldn't have worried as Andy laughed aloud while Miranda chuckled. The two so clearly in love were like a breath of fresh air.

"I detest that term," Miranda said dryly.

"We simply made the most of the time we had available," she added.

Andy smiled as she slipped her arm into Miranda's. "It was talking about the rug that did it."

Everyone looked at Andy expectedly.

"It's a silk rug placed in front of a fireplace, use your imagination," Andy said.

"I think not," Ellen replied causing everyone to laugh.

As the evening continued Alice was amazed at how close all four women were. She felt a little jealous about how close Ellen and Andy were. She and Anna loved each other but they were never able to talk so openly about such intimate topics. She brightened when she realized that she and Anna weren't shying away from any of those topics tonight.

"Maybe this could be a new start for us," she thought.

After another hour Ellen was the next to bow out of the evening. Miranda and Andy left soon after leaving Anna alone with her only child.

"You look happy," Alice said.

"You too," Anna added.

"You and Ellen seem to be a good fit."

Anna smiled knowing that she was lucky to have found her one and only twice in a lifetime.

"Yeah, I wasn't looking for anything then this warm boisterous family pulled me in."

"I'm sorry that I could never give you that kind of family," Alice said.

"Oh, Mom," Anna said. She walked over and sat next to her mother.

"I grew up in a house full of love," Anna said.

"Besides you're part of this family too."

Alice was about to object but she couldn't. She had felt it from the moment young Madeline wrapped herself around her leg. She'd been a member of the Priestly clan without even knowing it. Anna pulled her mother into a warm embrace.

"I'll help you get your things," Anna offered.

Alice settled into the comfortable bed but sleep eluded her. She could not remember a more remarkable day in her recent history. Seeing her daughter, being welcomed into the Priestly clan, then there was Helga.

"Well, of course, I have Helga on the brain," she thought to herself.

"Your brain is not the only part of your body focused on Helga," another part of her mind pointed out.

She tossed and turned for another half an hour before she decided to go in search of some tea.

As she entered the kitchen she found one of the twins already brewing her own tea. She thought maybe it was Caroline.

"You couldn't sleep either?" she asked the young woman.

"Nah, I'm waiting for Rose to finish her shift.

"Ah, your paramedic who is going to be a doctor one day."

Caroline liked the idea of Rose being referred to as hers. She knew things were moving fast but there was no helping it. Besides her grandma, Ellie had married at seventeen. Caroline poured two cups of tea then offered one to Alice. Alice thanked her before taking a sip of the warm liquid.

"You know your tea, this is really good," Alice said between sips.

"Well mom and Cass are the coffee drinkers but Ma and I prefer tea."

They talked for a little while about Caroline's plans for next year. It turned out the girls were going to Europe after graduation then moving into Anna and Ellen' building. A building their mothers had purchased to give the girls their own space during college and beyond. Alice's appreciation for Miranda and Andy ticked up another notch. Having a couple of den mothers watching after their precious girls as they took their first steps into adulthood was was quite clever.

"There are a couple of extra apartments for Allie and Madi when they're ready to be on their own," Caroline added.

"You all seem to get along well," Alice said.

"Yeah Cass and I have always gotten along well and we both love Mads and Allie to death."

"What are you planning to study in college?" Alice asked.

"For a long time, I couldn't decide between painting and acting so I chose a double major."

"What about Cassidy?" Alice inquired.

"Oh, she prefers to sculpt. She's already pretty good at it."

"Does art run in your family?" Alice asked suddenly fascinated by the topic.

"Kinda, You know ma's a writer but most people don't know how good of a designer mom is. She could have started her own design house if she'd wanted to."

"Why didn't she?"

"Oh, Mom's way too ambitious."

"Why influence millions of your own customers when you can influence the world, darling."

Alice had to laugh as Caroline's words were spoken in a perfect rendition of her mother's voice with just a hint of Joan Crawford thrown in for effect.

"I think you may have a shot at acting," Alice declared once she got her laughing under control.

As they finished their tea, Caroline got a text from Rose. She sent a quick message back telling her she would facetime her in a few minutes.

"So is Rose going to help you run lines?" Alice said.

Caroline laughed at the obvious joke before she said. "Na we're going to facetime each other so we can masturbate together."

Alice swallowed the rest of her tea to cover her surprise. Before she could stop herself she said, "I didn't even know that was a thing."

"Yeah, it beats conventional phone sex, besides it was a compromise."

"Compromise?"

"Yeah, I wanted to have sex right away and Rose wanted to wait until after my birthday. This way we both get a little of what we want." Caroline concluded.

"That's very mature of both of you," Alice said. She meant it, she was impressed with the level of maturity both twins displayed. The openness about sex was just another sign that Miranda and Andy were doing something right in raising their children.

"Are you and Rose serious?" Alice asked.

Car smiled back, as she said, "Yeah."

Her tone was far away and dreamy and it reminded Alice acutely what it was like to be young and in love.

"Well, I won't keep you from your girlfriend any longer," Alice said then wished Caroline a goodnight.

Caroline grabbed her phone and moved towards the stairs then she turned back to Alice.

"If you still can't sleep you might want to see if Helga's still up. There nothing like a good orgasm to put you to sleep," she said then was gone.

Alice shook her head before grabbing both teacups and depositing them in the dishwasher. The idea was preposterous, wasn't it?

The idea seemed far less preposterous as she lay in bed an hour later still unable to get the idea of watching Helga's beautiful face awash with pleasure out her head.

She knew that a late night text might seem rather forward but it was a better idea than calling and risking waking her.

She sent the text inquiring as to Helga's current state of consciousness.

The reply was unexpectedly quick.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to contact me again."

Alice blushed but was pleased nonetheless.

"May I facetime you," she sent back.

Instead of an answer, Helga's name appeared on her phone. She answered and was suddenly face to face with the woman who had been hunting her thoughts all day.

"Did you have a pleasant evening with your daughter and her fiance?"

They talked for a little while about what she'd done that day and the wonderful family she found herself engulfed in.

"That is wonderful Alice. I was very impressed with the dress and shoes by the way. You did an excellent job of estimating my sizes."

Alice felt her face warm as she blushed.

"I've spent a lot of time today thinking about it," Alice said before realizing how much she revealed in that sentence.

"So Alice were you thinking about me in the dress our out of it." Helga teased.

Alice swallowed hard as the arousal that plagued her all day came back. It was stronger this time as she was keenly aware of a familiar itch that needed to be scratched.

"Both," she admitted no longer able to hold any truths from this woman.

"Ah, so when you texted were you thinking of me in my clothing or without them."

"Without," she responded as she was hit with a feeling that complete and utter honesty was the right her best approach.

"You should know that I almost never wear clothing to bed," Helga said as she pulled the phone away to reveal the truth of that statement.

Alice's body reacted immediately as her nipples hardened, her pupils dilated and clit began to throb as it begged for attention.

As the camera refocused on Helga's face she said, "you have been in my thoughts all day as well."

"I hoped that you would call so I waited up for you."

Alice was pleased with her words but she did not know how to ask for what she really wanted.

Luckily Helga took the lead, "Alice there's something else you should know about me,"

"What's that?"

"That I can only sleep after I have an orgasm. Would you like to help me get to sleep Alice?"

No longer able to trust her voice Alice nodded vigorously.

"Wait one second," Helga said as she set her phone down. Alice used the time to good effect divesting herself of her nightshirt and retrieving the small yet powerful little vibrator she'd taken to keeping in her purse. By the time Helga picked up her phone, Alice was back in the bed and more than ready. Alice watched in fascination as Helga displayed a larger than average sized vibrating dildo.

"Do you think you'd like to use this on me," Helga said.

"Yes," Alice answered.

They both turned on their implements. Even though the camera was pointed at her face, Alice could tell the moment the vibrator entered Helga's body. Her face was radiant with joy as it worked its magic. Alice pictured it in her own hand and how she would use it deftly on the lovely younger woman. Without conscious thought, her own vibrator found its way to her clit. A moan escaped her lips causing Helga's eyes to widen in delight.

"I watched you for several minutes as you slept. I normally wouldn't have but you were making that same little sound and I could not help myself. Then when you said my name I could not leave until it was all over."

Helga's words washed over her and only added to her state of arousal. Just a day ago the idea of being watched in such an intimate moment by another woman would have been appalling. Now however it made her want to go nuclear.

"I'm so close Alice," Helga pleaded.

"Come for me," Alice said in her most commanding tone. It worked as the Scandinavian beauty breathed, "Oh Alice my Alice," as she came.

Alice had little time to contemplate the notion of being, "Helga's Alice," as her own much-needed orgasm was upon her. This time as she came she locked eyes with her companion from start to finish. It was an unexpectedly intimate act. She'd expected the phone to make things more clinical and less intimate but she could not deny the connection that had just been cemented. They would be lovers and soon.

"Sleep well Helga and I look forward to seeing you later tonight," she said before ending the call.

Before she herself could sleep she ordered a dozen red roses from a florist with the interesting name of Ginny and Hermione's Excellent Flower Shop. The roses would be delivered to Helga's room first thing in the morning. She smiled to herself as she thought, "now I'm the one in pursuit."

Caroline lay on her side staring at Rose's pretty face. They talked in the afterglow of what had been a rather powerful orgasm for both of them. They had just said their goodbyes when she felt it.

"Way to go, Alice," she thought just before she drifted off.

AN. I appear to have recaptured my muse. I am already well into chapter 24 and I have chapters 25, 26 and sigh the epilogue outlined. I hope you continue to enjoy this story as I bring it to a close. Feel free to let me know what you think.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Back to the Future

Allie Priestly lay in bed naked with her lover's head on her chest. This was not the first time for them but it only seemed to get better each time they made love.

"I had a dream that we'd end up together," Allie said out of nowhere.

"Did you," her lover responded use to her non-sequiturs.

"No, I'm serious. Do you remember the dinner party my parents through for Anna and Ellen before the wedding."

"I do."

"Well, the day before was when my mother asked my parents to adopt me. I kind of freaked out and I assumed that they wouldn't want anything to do with me. When I went to pack my bag Mom decided to help."

Her lover smiled as she could see Miranda doing just that.

"Eventually she calmed me down and convinced me that I was not just family but that I was her daughter and that I always would be. I fell asleep in her arms and I dreamt of you. Not just you but this life. Being a detective. Stephanie's Alex Priest novels. You're in the next book by the way. I even dreamt about how we met."

Emily sat up in bed so she could look into Allison's eyes.

She didn't doubt Allie for a moment. The strong connection she shared with her and the rest of the Priestly clan made deception within their family near to impossible.

She also knew where this conversation was going but knew that Allie needed to get there at her own pace.

"I realized that the dream was more than just a dream the night of that dinner," Allie said.

"The first time I laid my eyes on you, I was smitten. Then I saw the leggy blonde you were with and I was totally jealous."

"So when we met you knew all this would happen?" Emily asked.

"Not the first time we met. But when we met again. Once I knew it was you, yeah I knew," she admitted with a blush.

"That dinner changed my life. I met Kate Beckett that night and I fell in love with the idea of being a cop."

"Which of course, led you to go to law school," Emily teased.

"I didn't say I would always be a cop. Besides I wanted to be worthy of being with you."

Emily took Allie's face into her hands then said, "it doesn't matter what you did I could not have stopped myself from falling in love with you."

"I love you too."

Allie took a deep breath suddenly feeling the nerves as the moment finally arrived.

"I've known for a long time that you were absolutely the one for me. Your beauty, your drive to be the best, your fierce loyalty. How could I not love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Even though she knew this was coming Emily's heart rate spiked. This was not the first time she'd been proposed too but it would be the first time she said yes.

"Emily Ann Charlton, will you marry me."

"Yes!"

"Hurry or we'll be late," Emily prodded her perpetually tardy fiance. They only had a short elevator ride to the apartment upstairs but Emily saw no need to cut things this close.

Emily wore a bittersweet smile as her memories of that dinner came back to her. She had hoped that night would be a fresh start for her and she who shall not be named, but instead, she'd ended that night in tears. The only thing good that happened was a small kindness from a teenage girl.

Her smile brightened considerably as the gorgeous woman she would soon marry presented herself looking quite adorable au-natural. Since their first date, Emily had been happily included in the weekly nude family dinner. Tonight's dinner was being hosted by the twins and their wives Rose and Emma.

Allie had thought the whole thing was quite bizarre in the beginning but she'd quickly grown to love these occasions. There was something about the setting that made everyone more willing to be open with each other. It was hard to hide things when you were laid bare to your companions. They had not bothered getting dressed for the short walk to the elevator as the building was only occupied by family.

They were greeted warmly by Rose Priestly, MD who was just starting to show in her 17th week of pregnancy. Caroline appeared over her wife's shoulder every bit the proud Momma to be. They exchanged hugs and were soon joined by the other occupants Cass and Emma. The couples had decided they wanted to raise their children together so she hugged an equally naked and equally pregnant Cassidy.

The decision to co-parent their expected children had been the reason the couples provided for remodeling the two apartments into one single massive unit. Allie knew it was simpler than that. The four women just enjoyed one another's company. They constantly spent time in one apartment or the other so they just decided to eliminate the hallway in between.

"When are you guys leaving?" Allie asked her sisters.

"Rose's, sabbatical from the hospital starts in two weeks, and we'll be leaving soon after," Caroline announced as they were led further into the large apartment.

Despite the fact that their type of pregnancy was far more common than when Madeline was born, the American GOP continued to block laws making the process legal. Most American chose to give birth in Canada or Mexico but they'd decided to keep the family tradition and have their daughters in France so they would be spending a great deal of the year in Paris.

They all sat on the floor along the low eastern-style table that large enough to accommodate the whole family. Caroline poured glasses of wine and an alcohol-free California white for her wife and sister.

After everyone got comfortable, Allie asked, "Do you remember Anna and Ellen's pre-wedding dinner?"

Cass and Emma smiled sweetly at each other.

"That was the first night we kissed," Cass said.

"Was that what you two were doing when you mysteriously disappeared?" Allie questioned.

The two looked at each other lovingly.

"Yeah, I told her that mom needed us to do something upstairs," Cass admitted a little sheepishly.

Emma laughed, kissed the top of Cass's head, then asked her wife, "You don't really think I believed that line do you?"

Cass looked at Emma with surprise then said, "You knew."

"I thought it would be our only opportunity to make out," Emma admitted with a devilish grin on her face.

Caroline laughed as she said, "She's always a step ahead of you Cass."

Car and Emma shared a fist bump amused by the look of disbelief on Cass's face.

"Hey no ganging up on the pregnant lady," Cass complained.

"You tell-em Sis," Rose echoed.

Rose had her own memories of that night. The look on Caroline's face when she saw her in that dress. The dress that still hung in their closet for special occasions. The moment they too had slipped away from the party. Making out on Caroline's bed. The feel of Caroline's mouth against her neck, her nipple in Caroline's mouth. Getting interrupted by Andy before they could do much more. She had been afraid that Ma would freak out but she just laughed it off and told them that if we wanted dessert we should probably put their bras back on and head downstairs.

Rose was pulled out of her reverie by her wife's whispered voice, "Save a little of that for later."

Rose stopped her motion as she realized she'd been rubbing Caroline's ass. Luckily the ass in question was mostly out of view though she thought she got an approving grin from Emily.

The group was soon joined by Madeline who was currently between girlfriends.

"Hey everyone," a nude Madeline Priestly greeted the group.

Not surprisingly she took her customary seat close to Allie and Emily. Emily greeted the young woman warmly having long ago accepted that Madi's special place in Allie's heart meant that she would always be a not so silent partner in their relationship. She had even accepted that outside of the time they were making love that Allie's little sister had privileges to cuddle with them in Allie's bed. The first time Madi had crept into their bed with them and snuggled close had been a bit of a shock. Now if felt unusual if they didn't end up cuddling together at least once a week.

For her part, Allie took it all in stride. She and her little sister had shared a bed as often as not growing up. She loved her little sister to death so her three years at Stanford had been like torture to both of them. She respected her sister for doing it but now that she was back they'd agreed that they ould not to be apart like that ever again. She knew that most families weren't close like this anymore but it was one of the things she loved most about her family was their need to always want to be close to one another. The fact that they had all chosen mates who got that implicitly was a further sign of the rightness of it all. She also suspected that one day she and Mads would also combine their two apartments into one.

Luckily, Emily was completely understanding and her relationship with her sisters only seamed the strengthen over time. She wondered If Emily had already come to the conclusion that she would have to give up her high rise apartment. Despite Emily's higher status and her more expensive tastes, they spent all most all of their time in this building. Her parents had even had their own apartment built on the top floor. The new apartment had come in handy during a six month full remodel of the townhouse they'd done last year. The bottom floor had also been redesigned refreshing Cass and Caroline's design studios and adding a small set for Miranda's weekly vidcast and some office space they had future plans for.

Ma had even let it slip that they'd remodeled so the townhouse would be more marketable whenever they decided to sell. With the amount of time the couple now traveled and the frequency, they used the apartment she suspected that it wouldn't be long before they decided to give up having two places in Manhattan. Besides with their places in Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Amsterdam the older couple had more than enough places to live.

Allie was just happy that they were in town and able to make it to tonight's dinner. She wanted them here when she announced her and Emily's engagement. She had wisely set up a vid call with her mother and Stephanie before dinner so they would technically be the first to know. Those little things seemed to matter to her mother in a way she didn't fully understand. The resentment she felt toward her other mothers had lessened but her mother still saw herself as an outsider which was a shame. She made the decision to banish those dark thoughts and focus on the many good things that were happening in her life.

"What about you Madeline, Do you remember much from the engagement dinner?" Allie asked.

"Yeah, It was the first time I met Rose and Gran's wife Helga."

That kicked off a whole new round of conversations as the group discussed the lovely Helga Stern. She was a favorite topic of conversation as the statuesque beauty tended to make a lasting impression on men and women alike.

"Yeah what was the name of Kate Beckett's assistant who was so smitten with Helga? I don't think her eyes ever made it above here," Rose said holding her hand at breast height.

"You're talking about Holly Hayes," Allied answered.

"I remember her she came with Kate because Castle was in L.A.," Cass said.

"Oh, Yeah Kate had to kick her under the table a couple of times to get her to stop staring down the front of Helga's dress, " Emma added.

"Hey lay off Holly. She's nice," Madeline said.

"I wouldn't think you'd even remembered her," Allie said.

"Oh, I remember lots of things," Madeline said cryptically causing the group to all turn towards the youngest Priestley sister.

"Spill little sister," Rose prodded.

"Ok ok, I may have lost my virginity to Holly just before I left for college."

Her sisters took a moment to absorb this news. It wasn't that Madeline wasn't as open about her experiences as the rest of them but she had been somewhat vague about how she'd lost her virginity.

"You started college at seventeen Mads," Cass pointed out.

"Well, It's possible I convinced Holly that I was eighteen at the time," Madeline admitted with a sheepish grin.

Madeline went on to explain how she'd had the hots for the fiery redhead for a couple of years.

"So the week before I left for California, I may have shown up at her apartment wearing nothing but a coat and heels."

"Madeline Elise Priestley, You are so so, incorrigible," Allie said in exasperation causing the room to erupt with laughter.

"Well, I guess I see why you were always so mysterious about how you lost your virginity," Rose pointed out.

They had all shared their first time stories over the years. Their experiences were quite varied. Though those among them who'd lost their virginity to girls or women seemed to have had the better experience. They knew that It was unusual to have a family this size be in so many same-sex relationships. Allie figured it had a lot to do with the example their mothers set. They'd both been with men before they met, yet they fell in love and that was that. They provided a good example that each of them hoped to match one day regardless of the gender of their chosen spouse.

"So did you and Holly ever get together after that?" Cass asked

"Yeah, at least once every time I came home from Stanford," Madeline admitted.

"So are you two serious?" Emma asked.

"Na, she's just really good in bed," Madeline said with a dreamy expression causing the group to erupt in a new round of laughter.

It also made Allie wonder if her little sister knew what she was getting herself into.

"What's so funny?" Ellen asked as she and Anna stepped off the elevator and into the apartment. Everyone looked up and greeted the older couple with broad smiles.

"We were just learning something new about our little sister," Emma pointed out.

Ellen raised an eyebrow then said, "I want to hear all about it but first I want to get out of these clothes."

Emma made them their preferred cosmopolitan while the older couple disrobed placing their scrubs in a cubicle next to the elevator as they went.

The couple sat and were handed their drinks. They both took a grateful sip happy that they had a few days off. Things had been quite busy for the two of them and Rose at the hospital of late. Once the alcohol hit her system Ellen leaned back into her wife enjoying the feel of Anna's breasts against her back. These dinners were the best part of her week. All that was missing was the presences of her daughters who would arrive shortly and Alice and Helga who were currently visiting Helga's family in Sweden.

"Ok I want to hear this story," Ellen said.

She and Anna listened and laughed at all the funny parts as the group relayed Madeline's recent revelations.

"Isn't Holly technically your boss?" Anna asked.

"Yeah and I'm not sure I'll be able to look at her the same now that I know she's having sex with my little sister," Allie complained.

"Whose having sex with my youngest child," came a new voice.

The group all stood to greet the two family matriarchs as Miranda and Andy stepped out of the elevator. The group also attempted to ignore the clear signs that the couple had just been having sex in the elevator. That plan fell apart once they all spotted the Miranda shaped handprint on Andy's ass causing a fresh round of giggling.

"I'll tell you later," Cass told her parents as she winked at Madeline.

Ok, we're all here. What's the big news?" Caroline asked after everyone got comfortable.

"News?" Miranda asked then looked among all six of their daughters.

"We're engaged," Allie said.

The group broke into a round of congratulations. Emma and Rose liberated a bottle of a very champaign and a non-alcoholic synthetic version for the two expecting mothers.

Miranda was the first to offer a toast, "Emily I would welcome you to our family but I'm afraid that time has passed."

Emily looked at her former boss feeling that old sensation of dread. She felt Allie squeeze her hand and was instantly reminded that things were different now.

To prove the point Miranda winked at both them before she continued, "You've been part of this family for much longer than you even realized. Congratulations to both of you."

Emily felt tears sting her eyes as she was pulled into Miranda's embrace once again.

Emily and Allie smiled at one another as their family toasted their best wishes to the newly betrothed couple.

"Now that Allie is getting married, the pressure is on you, little sister," Caroline teased

"So, when's the wedding?" Madeline asked eager to duck that conversation.

'"Were decided to do it while we're all in Paris this summer," Emily

"Paris in July sounds quite romantic," Rose offered.

"Well we definitely wanted our nieces to be there," Allie said.

"I'm just glad you two can be there for the births," Cass responded.

"We'll acutely we're going to be joining you in France for a good portion of the year," Allie announced. Allie could clearly see how much it meant that she and Emily would be able to keep the family together while they welcomed the newest Priestly's into the world.

"That's great but what are you going to be about Runway?" Cass asked.

"Runway Paris?" Miranda speculated.

"That last edition was dreadful" Emma added.

They all knew that despite her near-decade out of fashion, Miranda knew as much as she ever did about that world.

Emily went on to explain the debacle the newest Elias Clark CEO had wrought when he hired an overpriced overhyped ed-in-chief for Runway Paris.

"That woman's greatest talent is taking credit for the work of others," Emma pointed out as she represented several of Marine Duchamp's ex-employees.

"Marine got so drunk on the power that she forgot it was her employees who did all the work. She fired most of her best people over the last three months." Emily said.

"Culminating in that debacle," Emma pointed out.

"And what exactly did you do to stop it?" Miranda asked.

"Nothing," Emily responded.

Miranda smiled at her former protege turned daughter then said, "Nice to see that you were indeed listening all those years ago."

Emily smiled basking in the high praise that she'd just received from her mentor. Her actions or in this case inactions were indeed textbook Miranda. She'd known of Marine's reputation, of course, and if the new CEO had bothered consulting her she would have cautioned him against the hire. Instead, Kevin had wanted to make a big splash and more importantly had wanted to prove he was the smartest person in the room.

With the board practically begging her to temporarily take the reigns at Runway Paris she'd cemented her position and made it clear to this CEO and the next that she was always the smartest person in the room.

"So what about your job?" Andy asked her middle daughter.

Allie beamed at her parents before she said, "Kate suggested that I apply for a liaison position with Interpol and I got the job."

Allie went on to explain her role for a prestigious unit within the European Union's version of the American FBI. This news led to another round of congratulatory toasts leaving everyone, save the pregnant women, feeling a bit tipsy.

"I believe now would be a good time for dinner," Emma proclaimed mostly hiding a slight slur.

After dinner, everyone moved to a sitting room that the twins had designed specifically for this purpose. The raised platform as covered in soft fabric and the room featured a myriad of pillows allowing the couples to all relax in each other's company. All except the two expecting mothers had an after-dinner brandy as they all snuggled close to their chosen spouse. Allie and Emily both held out an arm, inviting Madeline to join them.

"We have news of our own," Andy said.

"We've decided that when we are in New York we intend to use our apartment here as our home," Miranda said.

"That's great but what about the townhouse?" Cass asked.

"Our broker let a few clients know we were interested in selling a few days ago which started a small bidding war. We accepted an offer half a million over our asking price this morning," Andy responded.

The girls all looked at each other as a sense of nostalgia passed between them. The townhouse had represented so many firsts for all of them. They also had to acknowledge that this building had become the new center of gravity for the family, therefore having their parents here with them when they weren't traveling the world was a good thing.

There was another round of toasts as the family matriarchs where both congratulated and welcomed to casa Priestly-Stern.

"Mom, how was your interview with Emmy Rossum?" Rose asked changing the subject.

Miranda spent several moments gushing about the Oscar-winning actor causing Andy to roll her eyes several times.

"You disagree?" Miranda asked.

"No I don't disagree at all, I just wish you would admit it," Andy replied.

"Admit what?" Anna asked.

"Mom has a crush," Caroline pointed out causing her mother to glare in her direction.

"Miranda Priestly does not have crushes," she proclaimed to the room.

"I just appreciate her talents," she concluded.

"Oh, is that what we are calling breasts these days," Andy responded.

Miranda's slight blush was all the evidence that the rest of the room needed causing each woman to work hard to hide their sudden amusement.

Andy pulled her wife close before she said, "She's grown into a lovely woman and It does not bother me in the least that you have a crush. Just admit it."

"What about you and that that singer?" Miranda questioned not quite ready to let it go.

Andy laughed before she responded, "I never denied that I found Ms. Monae quite pleasant but one she's happily married and two she not my type."

"And what exactly is your type?" Miranda asked.

Andy pretended to ponder the question for a moment earning her a glare from her spouse.

"Hmm. I'd say about this tall," she said as she held a hand at the height of Miranda's head.

"While seated of course. Piercing blue eyes that turn a little grey when she's angry. Silver hair is a must. Porcelain-like skin."

She said the last statement while stroking Miranda's left cheek.

"We'll be right back," Miranda said as she pulled her spouse towards the oft used powder room.

The group sat in silent anticipation until they clearly heard, "Oh Goddess, Miranda don't stop," from the direction of the now occupied powder room.

"We should consider just putting a bed in there," Cass offered causing the room to erupt in a new fit of giggles as they had all been guilty of using the little room for nefarious purposes.

The conversation quickly resumed as Allie turned to Ellen and Anna then said, "We were talking earlier about your engagement dinner."

Ellen and Anna smiled at each other as memories of that evening flooded back.

"It was the perfect evening," Ellen announced.

Anna looked at her wife then said, "well it was certainly memorable, I'll give you that."

Ellen looked at Anna confused.

"Well it is hard to forget the first time I saw my mother having sex," Anna said.

"Tell me about it," Cass, Caroline, Allie, and Madeline all said at once.

It was true. Their parents had been quite careful when the girls were younger but each of them had learned in recent years not to drop by the townhouse unannounced. There was no room in the house the happily married couple would not take advantage of at the drop of a hat. Allie closed her eyes as she tried to banish the image of her mom sitting on the kitchen counter with her ma's head between her legs. She looked at her siblings and could tell that they too were doing their best the mentally scrub their own memories but there were just some things you couldn't unsee.

Displaying perfect timing the couple in question strolled back into the room hand in hand looking quite satisfied. Allie deliberately chose to ignore the bruise forming on her ma's left breast as well as the look of smug satisfaction on her mom's face.

"I was more referring to our evening together," Ellen said with a knowing smile.

"Oh you mean trying out the silk rug in front of the fireplace in the library," Andy said with a smirk.

Anna and Ellen looked at Andy in surprise.

"Let us just say you were not the only ones how had after dinner plans that night," Miranda added.

Allie thought back to her own memories of that night. She was standing next to her ma when she met the alluring redhead for the first time. She was enchanted from the moment a smile graced her pretty face. Emily, on the other hand, spent most of the night being enchanted by her leggy blonde companion. Allie had been jealous which made her angry. She'd slipped away from the party and was found sometime later by her mom.

When she opened up about what was bothering her, her mom took one long look at her then said, "look closer, all is not what it seems."

That had been all it took. When she returned to the party she really paid attention to the older couple. It soon became clear to her that while Emily was in love her companion was not. Later that night she'd found Emily in a quiet corner visibly upset. She wanted so bad to tell her it would be ok. Instead, she did the next best thing. She brewed her a cup of tea. When she presented the cup to the Englishwoman she got a watery smile as Emily thanked her for her kindness. There had been just one moment during that brief exchange where their eyes had locked and Allie felt just a glimpse of the connection they now shared. That look had been firmly in her mind later that night when she'd given herself her first orgasm and many that followed whether self-induced or not.

Despite her knowledge of this potential future, she didn't spend her time between then and now pining over her future love. She'd gone out and experienced life. She'd lost her virginity to Bobby Green during her senior year. She'd had her first love and heartbreak with Bobby's older sister Rachel a few years later. She dated boys and girls men and women throughout while at NYU. Finished law school, joined the NYPD and excelled in her chosen profession.

There had also been another proposal. She was sitting there with Mitchell on one knee before her. She closed her eyes with yes on the tip of her tongue then those eyes came back to her. Haunted and sad and beautiful and that spark of connection. Things had not ended with them that night but nothing lasts for long when you say no to the ring. After that she kept her dating casual until the day that she reconnected with her true love. It didn't happen exactly the way it happened in her dream but it was close enough and their connection only grew from there.

She looked over to her love and was happy to see that hunted look no lived in her pretty eyes. Not they sparkled with the same happiness that she knew was in her own eyes. She never wanted to see Emily look so forlorn and lost ever again.

Later in the night as the conversation waned Emma played a new artist she had just signed. The woman's voice was smooth and soothing causing everyone to relax. Eventually, each couple reclined into one another enjoying their closeness in the company of their family. Allie leaned back into Emily while Madeline laid her head onto her thigh. She closed her eyes as she ran her hand through Madeline's hair.

Madeline was the first to call it a night claiming she was meeting someone for a drink. They said their goodbyes to Anna and Ellen's who were the next to call it a night. No one was surprised when they caught a glimpse of the older couple in a heated embrace as the elevator doors closed. The remaining group started working through some of the logistics of the temporary move to France along with exchanging some ideas for the wedding.

"Will you be joining us at the Paris apartment?" Miranda asked Allie and Emily.

The Paris apartment took up the entire top floor of a building giving them obstructed views of the Eiffel Tower on one side and the Arc de Triomphe on the other. The purchase had been an anniversary gift the couple had given to each other a few years before. It followed the release of Andy's top-selling book to date, Unbound. It also coincided with the unmitigated success of the third generation line from SmartWare. The brand had been started by a small french design house but it had flourished once Miranda acquired a half share in the business. One of the upsides of her association with the company was that they all got plenty of samples. Given their feedback, the fifth generation line would be the most profitable to date.

Allie looked at Emily and got the slightest of head nods before she answered that they would love to. The evening broke up soon after Cassidy announced that she needed Emma desperately. Given the amount of hormones currently pumping through her system paired with an equally thirsty look on Rose's face, Allie, Emily, Andy, and Miranda made a hasty retreat.

They said their goodnights in the elevator as the older couple escorted them down to the second floor. As the door closed Allie turned to ask her parents a question. She immediately swallowed her query as the last image she saw was her mom's hand cupping her ma's unbruised right breast. She shook her head wondering when she would learn her lesson which caused her fiance to pat on the back in sympathy.

As they entered the apartment Allie suddenly felt herself pushed against the door. She turned to see Emily's darkened eyes staring back at her. Moments later their lips came together in a heated kiss that only broke so they could take a ragged sip of air before they were all over one another again. They stumbled through their apartment never breaking contact until Allie fell backward pulling an unbalanced Emily along with her. The couple laughed as they landed on the couch in the darkened apartment. Emily leaned down and whispered, "I've wanted to do that all night." Allie attached her lips to the older woman's throat eliciting an unladylike moan to escape Emily's mouth.

"Me too," Allie whispered back before reattaching her mouth to Emily's long neck.

"What was that?" Emily whispered.

Allie did not hear anything so she used her lover's distraction to turn the tables flipping them onto the soft Persian rug. Emily moaned as Allie pushed her thigh into the other woman's warm center.

This time it was Allie who heard the low sound that suggested that they were not in the apartment alone. She looked towards the door to the guest room that unofficially belonged to her little sister. It was not completely closed but was just as dark as the rest of the apartment. Her concentration was broken as she felt Emily's talented mouth attach itself to her left nipple. She threw her head back in pleasure as she felt Emily's tongue swirl along the hardened nub.

"Oh fuck, that's so good."

They both froze as the sound of Madeline's voice suddenly filled the apartment.

"Do you think she's in their alone?" Emily questioned.

Allie shrugged her shoulders. Her little sister was rather vocal both alone and with a partner.

"You are delicious, my darling," a husky feminine voice proclaimed.

"Well, I guess she was having that drink close by," Emily pointed out.

Instead of her planned response, a quiet, "Oh," escaped Allie's lips as she felt strong fingers slide into her soaking wet canal. She looked down at her lover incredulously but only got an adorable shrug in return.

She moaned again as Emily began to move her fingers deeper.

"Will you stop that," Allie said.

"Is that what you really want?" Emily asked as she gave her fingers another twitch.

"No, I mean yes, I mean not right here," Allie finally managed more than a little flustered.

"Oh, are you going to fuck me now?" the husky voice asked.

Allie used the distraction to bolt for their bedroom with Emily hot on her heels. She had just reached the bed when Emily crashed into her pushing both of them onto their king size bed. Emily kissed her deeply as their bodies came together once again. Allie signed as Emily's fingers once again found a home. Allie quickly spread her legs and pushed her hips up giving her lover deeper access. She was rewarded for her actions as Emily quickly found her g-spot causing another moan to escape her lips.

"Oh that feels so good baby," Allie cried out as an explosive orgasm wracked her body.

They kissed gently in Allie's afterglow as Emily slowly withdrew.

"Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck," the other woman's voice husked followed by a series of loud squeaks as the other couple tested the integrity of the guest room's bed.

Challenged received challenged accepted both women thought as they stared at each other in amusement.

Allie slipped out of bed and padded over to her closet. She opened a drawer and retrieved her implement of choice. They'd only tried the prototype of SmartWare's first strapon once but with explosive results. She slipped on the underwear then chose the larger slightly curved phallus. She attached it and turned it on immediately feeling its connection to her clit. She walked back in their bedroom to see the smoldering eyes of her lover. She looked down to confirm that they would not be requiring any supplemental lubrication tonight. She kneeled onto the bed but was pushed onto her back by her lover. She looked down in amazement as Emily took the curved phallus into her mouth. Allies eyes closed as she allowed the unique sensation to flow through her. When another round of loud moans came from the other room, Emily had finally had enough as she slipped Allie inside of her. Allie did her best to hold on as Emily began to rock her hips. Their moans grew steadily louder as each woman reveled in their own separate but equally strong sensations.

"Oh that's bloody good," Emily screamed reverting back to her South London accent.

That only spurred Allie on. She loved it when she made her lover lose that upper-crust facade. She drove herself deeper and deeper causing Emily to bounce up and down giving her member deeper access until they both exploded in ecstasy.

They looked at each other as Madeline and her lover reached their own simultaneous peak.

"I believe round one goes to us," Emily said having regained her composure and her accent.

Allie rolled on top of her as she asked, "you up for round two?" Emily's spread legs were all the answer she needed.

The next morning Allie slipped out of bed and padded naked into the kitchen. After a couple run-ins with Madeline's hook-ups, she'd decided that this was her apartment so she would wear clothing only if she felt like it. She poured herself a cup of coffee then started Emily's tea brewing.

"I could use a bit of that coffee," came the husky voice from last night.

Allie turned and found herself face to face with a very nude Holly Hayes.

"Captain," Allie said.

"I'm standing in your kitchen stark naked detective I believe you can call me Holly."

"And you can call me Allie."

AN: Another update and one step closer to what I hope to be a satisfying conclusion. I am half way through chapter 25 and I'm working diligently to post as often as I can all the way to the happy end. Let me know what you think.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Family

Alice Stern awoke with a smile, unable to remember the last time she'd slept so well. She stretched her arms and legs luxuriating in the feel of her nude body against expensive sheets.

The cool air hit her breasts, causing nipples to harden and reminding her of last night's video chat with the lovely Helga.

Her smile only broadened as she recalled the best orgasms she'd had in years. As she rolled onto her back, something poked her in a delicate spot. She reached under her ass and found the little vibrator that had served her well of late.

She went to store it the nightstand when she thought maybe she could come up with a better use for the little device.

She let her mind drift to thoughts of the Scandinavian beauty that had been occupying her mind lately.

She turned on the small, powerful vibrator and placed it against her aching clit. She sighed as she felt the familiar endorphin being released into her bloodstream, adding to the pleasure radiating from her core.

She was a woman who was falling in love again. Forgetting all the minutiae of what it would take to woo the Helga, she focused on the feel of the other woman's generous breasts as they'd pressed against her back. The look of desire in those striking blue eyes as the woman watched Alice come apart.

When she pictured herself squeezed between pale thighs taking her first swipes at Helga's slick womanhood, it pushed her over the top.

She moaned Helga's name as her body shivered through the paroxysms of her self delivered orgasm. She turned off her vibrator just before sleep claimed her once again.

The next time Alice opened her eyes, it was much later in the morning. As she padded into the bathroom, the vintage clawfoot bathtub looked quite inviting. She turned on the copper taps then went to empty a full bladder.

She slipped into the tub and took a moment to luxuriate in the not quite scalding water. She stretched her limbs but found that she felt surprisingly well. She tried to remember the last time she felt this relaxed.

"It was probably after a particularly good night with Henry," she thought with a smile.

She and Henry had always gotten along well in bed. She was thinking of a particularly pleasant evening with her late husband when she wondered what it would be like to have a good night with Helga.

She wasn't ignorant of the basics of lesbian sex, and given her growing certainty about her true sexuality, she'd done some research.

She laughed at herself for labeling masturbating to well made lesbian porn as research. She also knew from experience the vast difference between what one could find on the internet and the real thing.

There was so much more to sex than just the visual stimulation that pornography could offer.

The smell.

The sound.

The taste and the feel of another could be quite intoxicating.

Mentally she'd already decided that it was not if, but when and hoped Helga felt the same. Based on last night, it seemed like tonight would be the when.

The only remaining question was how would things proceed.

Would Helga take the lead?

Alice decided she rather liked the idea of being taken by the statuesque younger woman.

In the end, she decided to let things unfold organically and to enjoy every moment. She slipped under the water wetting her hair in the process.

When she came up out of the water, her eyes drifted down to her body.

"Not bad for an old woman," She though without irony.

She'd inherited some good genes from her mother, who maintained her figure for far longer than most women.

She also knew that she'd passed those genes on to her daughter.

"Lucky Ellen," she thought with a grin.

Then again, Anna was pretty lucky too. Ellen was a beautiful woman, and it ran in the family, Andy was a real stunner then so was Miranda.

Given her current amorous mood, she decided to stop ruminating on how she was in a house surrounded by beautiful women.

As she washed her body, her hand ran through her pubic hair. She had always believed pubic hair was a sign of her womanhood, but given tonight's agenda, a trim couldn't hurt.

She was in New York City, so she imagined she had plenty of options.

"A trim up top and a wax below the equator sounds about right," she thought.

"Maybe I'll ask Miranda."

She could not see the elegant woman ever going for the bald prepubescent look that so many young women seemed to prefer, nor could she imagine the woman sporting an unmanaged jungle of hair either.

By the time she made her way downstairs, the house appeared empty.

She found a note from her daughter telling her that they were going for manicures and pedicures and would be back mid-afternoon. A quick survey of the kitchen revealed a wide variety of pastries and a carafe of hot coffee waiting for her.

She chose a bagel and found several types of cream cheese in the fridge. She sat at the island and took a sip of what turned out to be excellent coffee.

"Not up for the whole mani-pedi scene today," came the voice of one of the twins.

She looked towards the girl and was surprised that she felt confident that this was Caroline Priestly.

"I took your advice last night and ended up sleeping late."

The girl toasted her own bagel, and they sat together at the kitchen island to eat.

"So Helga didn't mind the late-night call?" Caroline asked.

"Are you really going to talk to this girl about your sex life?" Alice asked herself.

She'd been a little dubious of the idea of this instant connection to a house full of women she'd never met, but she could hardly deny her feelings on the subject.

"She was apparently waiting up in anticipation of my call."

"Way to go, Alice," the young woman said, then she held out a fist.

"Oh," she thought, then clenched her hand before bumping fists with the teenaged girl.

"And you, did you and your Rose have a good evening?"

"I like the sound of that.

My Rose.

Yeah, we had a good evening.

Twice."

Alice could not stop herself from laughing at the girl's good-natured cheek.

Remembering the question she was going to ask Miranda, she looked at the girl and thought, "Why not."

"I was wondering if you knew of a good place to get waxed.

Caroline gave her a long look before responding, "Leg, or...?"

"Or," Alice quickly answered.

The girl smiled, then said, "I know a place. I could use a wax myself if you're OK with some company."

Alice brightened before saying," Actually, I'd like that."

Rose Martinez opened and eye and stretched her long arms and legs. A pleasant tingle ran down her spine partly from the simple pleasure of a good stretch after a good night's sleep and partly from fresh memories of watching her girl's pretty face as she came apart the previous evening.

Twice.

Her mind switched from last night to later this evening. Seeing Caroline in the flesh for the first time since the day they'd met sent a fresh thrill up her spine. Despite her words to the contrary, she was unsure if she'd be able to maintain her current stance on waiting for Caroline's eighteenth birthday in a few weeks before they made love for the first time.

Caroline was not a virgin, so her stance seemed a little silly to her at the moment. She believed that this was the real thing, so she was nervous that she would fuck things up. Rose wondered what Car would wear tonight. She figured it would be something designed to test her willpower.

Then she thought of the dress she'd be wearing tonight and realized it might be Caroline who would have a hard time keeping her hands to herself tonight.

When she thought of Caroline's hands on her body, the tingle moved from her spine to a completely different location. As blood flowed south, she felt herself getting slick between her thighs.

She reached into her nightstand and came out with her trusty vibrator. As she turned the device own and found her clit with its rounded head, she realized her feelings for the device had changed. Instead of it being a manifestation of her lack of a love life, now it was her connection to Caroline.

A broad smile broke out on her face as she went to work on her third orgasm in the last six hours.

With the exhalation of her girlfriend's name, Rose came hard then promptly fell back to sleep.

Later in the morning, the Latina sat naked at her small kitchen table, eating a tin of greek yogurt. Her apartment was small, but the benefits of living alone was not having to worry about the sensibilities of roommates when she chose not to wear any clothing, which was often.

Despite the freedom, the small space offered, she thought it might be time for someplace new.

With Caroline's encouragement, she was seriously considering going back to school, so a place closer to Columbia would be ideal.

Not that getting into Columbia was going to be easy. She'd always made good grades, but taking the MCAT was a daunting endeavor.

Worst still, most of her competition would have the resources to pay tutors to prep them for the standardized test. Despite her disadvantage, Rose decided to do what she always did.

Work harder than everyone else.

She showered then picked out an almost non-existent thong. She tossed on a sports bra, but there would be no room for any such undergarment with the dress Amy and May made for her. She could almost picture the look on Car's face when they finally saw each other later tonight.

She slipped on a pair of her old work pants and a polo shirt without the EMS markings. She worked a lot, so until recently, she had little need for non-work related clothing.

That would change if she were going to continue to be invited to events like tonight's dinner. Caroline's world was so different from hers that Rose worried she wouldn't be able to fit in. It was important to her not to embarrass herself or Caroline by saying, or doing, or wearing the wrong thing.

She pulled her long black hair into a ponytail but did not bother with makeup, given that she and Emma had an appointment with real professionals in a few hours.

She hit the subway and was soon ringing the buzzer at Amy and May's design studio slash loft apartment. She was greeted eagerly by the talented couple who were eager to do her final fitting. She stripped down to her underwear like before but got a pointed look from Amy.

"You're not wearing that under our dress," May said, indicating the clunky sports bra.

She got the point, and without hesitation, she lost the sports bra. She had to smile as both women did their best to ignore her suddenly bare breasts.

They failed, but she didn't mind; she liked her body and had no problem with the attention in this case. Besides, her breasts were certainly worth a second glance.

She slipped on the dress, that now fit her better than anything that had ever touched her skin. She checked herself out in the mirror but could not find a bad angle as she turned this way and that.

"This dress is amazing," Rose gushed, causing designer and seamstress to beam back at her.

Wearing this dress made her feel for the first time that maybe just maybe she could fit into Caroline's world after all.

She embraced both women, thanking them profusely for making her feel like a princess for once in her life.

With dress in hand, Rose chose to splurge on a Lyft, not wanting to take her magical dress anywhere near the subway.

Traffic was light, so she ended up reaching the Elias Clark building a little early. She stepped into the lobby of the gleaming tower and was pleased to find a visitor's pass waiting for her at the security desk.

She took the elevator up to the 38th floor and stepped off into wonderland,

She could get used to the beautifully decorated and slickly styled offices that belonged to Runway Magazine. She walked down the main hall, and her eyes were drawn to a row of some of the magazine's most iconic covers.

She smiled when she spotted the January of 2006 cover featuring a very nude and very shapely Scarlett Johansson on the cover. Only Miranda had the stones to put a completely nude actress on the cover of a fashion magazine. At the time, the cover had quite the effect on her; in fact, it was probably the thing that finally allowed her to admit she sexual attraction to a woman.

She blushed when she remembered other things she'd done while admiring Ms. Johansson's shapely ass.

Rose was pulled from those memories when someone asked, "May I help you?"

She turned to see a rather officious looking blonde starring back at her.

The woman gave her a once over before saying, "Deliveries are supposed to be left at the security desk."

Rose was about to tell blondie exactly where she could shove the expensive shoes she was wearing, but she swallowed her words.

This was not her domain, and the last thing she wanted was to do something that would embarrass Caroline's mom, or herself for that matter.

"Here I'll take that," The woman said, reaching for Rose's dress.

Rose physically turned to shield the dress from the annoying woman standing before her.

"Do we have a problem here," a quiet voice spoke, drawing both of their attention.

"Shit," Rose thought, instantly recognizing the newcomer's soft-spoken tone.

"Nothing for you to worry about, Miranda I was just dealing with someone who doesn't belong here."

Rose's hung her head in defeat, despite her best efforts to contain things, the situation had now spiraled out of her control.

Before she could formulate an apology, Miranda approached her, saying, "Rose, dear, so good to see you."

Rose looked up in amazement as Miranda kissed one cheek then the other.

She gave the woman a shy smile as a blush crept up her pretty face.

"As for you," Miranda said, turning towards the woman who'd been harassing her for the last several minutes.

"I believe another six months of diversity training is in your future," Miranda added.

"Yes, Miranda," the woman said before fleeing for her life.

"I believe your first stop is with our hairstylist," Miranda said.

Rose nodded her head, not entirely trusting her voice.

"I'll escort you," Miranda said, offering up an arm.

In a bit of a daze, Rose took Miranda's arm and was led away.

"I hear that Emma helped you to procure a special dress for the occasion."

"Two," Rose responded then told Miranda all about the fledgling design house.

"Well, I look forward to seeing it, though I suppose not as much as Caroline."

With those words, Rose snapped out of her haze and began to open up to Miranda, feeling significantly less intimidated.

They arrived at the designated area, and Rose was once again awed. This time it was finding what looked like a five-star salon within the walls of the world's premier fashion magazine.

"It makes sense," She thought, looking around. She had somehow just pictured something less structured.

"Kyle, this is Rose, Rose, this is Kyle Madden."

"What a gorgeous head of hair," Kyle said, is a pronounced New Zealand accent.

"I was thinking that pinning her hair up might be nice. Expose her elegant neck," Miranda suggested.

Rose could not help the warm feelings she suddenly felt for the woman standing before her.

Miranda turned to the other person in the room and spoke, "For her makeup, I'd like to see her cheekbones highlighted and something to complement those intense eyes."

Rose could not believe that Miranda Priestly was taking the time to decide her hair and makeup. Nor could she believe that Miranda thought her eyes were intense.

Both the makeup artist and the hairstylist gave reverent nods just before Miranda swept from the room.

"Wow," Rose said, having gotten the full Miranda for the first time.

"Wow, indeed, honey. I don't know what you did to get on her good list but color me jealous," Carla said.

Rose wasn't sure either, but Miranda had just made her feel ten feet tall.

Caroline was in Cassidy's room as they put the finishing touches on their outfits for tonight's dinner.

"Damnit," Cass cursed in frustration.

Caroline approached her swatted her hand away before saying, "let me do it,"

She unknotted the blue tie around her sister's throat, took it from around her neck, and shook it out.

She put the tie back in place then tied a perfect single Windsor knot.

"How'd you do that?"

"Watching Dad," Caroline responded.

"After we found out he was sick, I use to get up every morning we stayed with him afraid that he wouldn't wake up.

He'd get ready, and we'd have breakfast together, then he'd tie his tie and put on his jacket.

Do you know what he said when I asked why he always waited until after he ate to finish getting dressed?"

"I'm guessing it was something Mom said." Cass wondered.

"Yeah, that was what I thought, but he told me that it was actually something Andy said. She told him to slow down so he could enjoy the things that mattered."

Cass was silent for a moment, thankful that Andy was in their life.

That they called her Ma, and she thought of them all as her girls.

"She was so good with us before and after Dad died," Caroline added.

"You look good tonight," Caroline said, trying to lighten the mood.

Besides, Cass cut a striking figure in the woman's cut Ralph Lauren suit paired with a french-cuffed shirt, blue silk tie she'd just knotted around her sister's neck.

"The gold blivet* cufflinks are a nice touch."

"They were a gift from Emma," Cass said with a dreamy smile on her face.

Caroline adjusted the belt on her own ensemble. The J Mendel off the shoulder dress with the daring slit up the left side felt like it had been explicitly designed to show off the best parts of her figure.

Which it had been, there were a lot of advantages to being Miranda Priestly's daughter after all.

Both girls made their way into Cass's bathroom so they can do each other's makeup.

"I meant to ask how did it go at the wax place with Alice."

"Judging by her language, I think it was her first time getting her girly bits waxed.

That woman could make a sailor blush," Caroline added with a laugh.

"Then she'll fit in with us nicely," Cass said, also laughing.

"It all looks so nice," Ellen said, looking at a table laid out for twenty or so guests.

Anna had to agree, appreciating all that the Priestly's were doing to make her feel welcomed. Their moment was interrupted as Madeline Elise Priestly breezed into the room.

The little girl looked both women up and down before giving them a huge grin of approval.

Ellen had to laugh at herself when she realized she'd been holding breath while awaiting her granddaughter's judgment.

"You look nice too young lady," Ellen added.

"I know, blue is my color," Madeline said with absolute certainty.

"Don't be so arrogant," Allie said, walking into the room.

"Mom always said it's not arrogant if it's accurate," Madi replied.

Allie rolled her eyes then gave her little sister a tummy tickle. The little girl let out a very unladylike snort of laughter, causing the two adults to laugh along.

When Andy walked into the room, Madeline moved behind her, attempting to fend off her older sister.

"Save me, momma," the girl pleaded dramatically.

"Oh, no, I have a feeling you deserve whatever is coming to you," Andy said, stepping aside.

Seeing no other way out, Maddi ran for it with Allie right on her heels.

"I can't believe how well those two get along," Alice said, shaking her head.

Andy smiled at the retreating forms of both girls then said, "It's like they balance each other somehow."

"Kind of like you and Miranda," Ellen said, joining the conversation.

"Yeah," Andy said, surprised that she hadn't seen it before.

"From the moment I met that girl, it felt like she was a part of me," Andy said, referring to her middle child.

Ellen hugged her daughter feeling bittersweet thinking about her sister and all she'd been through.

"Mom's Home," a dark-haired blur announced as she ran by still being pursued.

Andy shook her head, knowing from experience that her youngest could be deceptively fast.

"Did I hear that mom's home," Caroline said as she and Cassidy descended the stairs.

"Oh, Girls," Andy said, turning to look at her oldest looking all grown up.

Andy could not help herself when she pulled out her phone and took pictures of the twins.

"Mom's suppose to be the sappy one," Cass said with a grin.

"Yeah, Yeah," Andy said, wiping happy tears away from the corners of each eye.

"Why don't we go see if Mom needs a hand," Caroline prompted, pulling her sister away.

"Girls look who I ran into," Miranda said, stepping aside to reveal Emma and Rose.

Miranda could not help her smirk as her twins starred at their respective dates gobsmacked.

"I remember the first time you looked at me that way," Andy said slipping her arm through Miranda's

Miranda turned to her wife before she said," No, you remember the first time you caught me looking at you that way."

Andy threw her head back and laughed.

The End.

AN:

*A blivet is also known as the devil's pitchfork.

It is always bittersweet to bring a story to an end. I really like this incarnation of our favorite ladies, but what I like most is the family they created around them. So I hate to say goodbye to them but the time has finally come. I want to thank all of you who stuck with me all the way to the end. If the inspiration strikes, I can certainly see a short story or two in the future.


End file.
